Leaves in the the Wind
by Ambrant Arandel
Summary: NarutoATLA crossover. Aang and company come to Naruto's world looking for the remnant of the air nomads. Konoha will never be the same... Pairings undecided, TsunadexIroh likely. They ARE the roughly the same age after all...
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm giving fair warning to all that read this. It is a 'back-burner' project that will most likely only be updated once every month or so.**

**Prologue**

Gyatso stepped from the doors of the spirit chamber as an explosion rocked the temple. Behind him, the eyes on the statue of the Avatar Roku flared to life as the frightened nomads clustered at its base for protection.

_How ironic._ Gyatso thought as he walked away hoping that they would be safe wherever it was that Roku was taking them.

_KEEP THE SOLDIERS AWAY AS LONG AS YOU CAN GYASTO. I NEED TIME TO BREACH THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE SPIRIT REALM AND THIS WORLD._

Gyatso nodded despite not needing to with the sound of the Avatar echoing within his mind. The explosions began to get worse and the building rocked as the soldiers invaded the sanctuary.

"You will not pass." Gyatso said with deadly calm as the soldiers stormed in heading for the spirit chamber.

Ignoring the old man, the foot soldiers ran for the door only to collapse to their knees as Gyatso stepped forward into their midst. One by one, the soldiers tore their faceplates away gasping for precious air as they watched their lives leaving them moment by moment. Common soldiers, they stood little chance of standing up to a trained airbender, much less a powerful monk of the southern air temple.

"Get in there!" One of the commanders roared and Gyatso watched as a young boy barely old enough to fit in armor was thrown into the temple by his cowardly commander. The boy collided with Gyatso and looked up into his face. Gyatso couldn't bring himself to smother this child. He reminded him too much of Aang.

"Please don't kill me!" The little boy cried looking up at Gyatso with fear and tears in his eyes. "I never wanted to be a part of this war!"

"None of us did, child." Gyatso said patiently, as he patted the boy's helmet. "Quickly, join the others in the chamber. If you wish to be spared the horror which is to come stay there with them and Avatar Roku will protect you."

The boy nodded and ran for the chamber as if hell itself were behind him, and to Gyatso's thinking it was.

The cowardly commander finally made his appearance then, flanked by three firebenders on each side of him. As the boy crossed the threshold, Gyatso sent a blast of air behind him to close the doors.

"So, you send a boy in here to die in your place hoping to tire an old man so that he will be more easily defeated?" Gyatso said angrily drawing himself up. Around him the air began to chill as he armored himself for combat against the firebenders. His feet lifted from the floor as he hovered, one of the few monks powerful enough to do so. "I say again, you will… not… pass."

"Brave words old man, but you are the last defender of this temple. Those little airbending whelps you've hidden in that chamber will die with you. I still have ten firebenders, and four hundred men at my command. Even you cannot best all of us. The Fire Nation will welcome back their victorious soldiers with honor!" The commander said motioning for his troops to attack.

"Perhaps… but it will not be you." Gyatso said hurling his air forward. The soldiers were lifted from their feet flying backwards out of the temple as Gyatso followed in pursuit. The soldiers were of little consequence however as Gyatso centered his blast on their commander, lifting him up and hurling him from the cliffs to his death.

"So die all those who would see a child die for their own benefit." Gyatso declared as he turned on the remaining firebenders.

Flames roared toward him heating the super cooled air around him, and Gyatso let fly with punch after punch, the air moving with his body to strike the men regardless of their distance from him. Gyatso fought as if the men were standing within reach and with his air striking at them they might as well have been.

A fireball whizzed past his head and Gyatso barely ducked in time to drive a column of air at an angle up into the chest plate of an oncoming soldier who had his sword raised.

Gyatso ducked and spun, slamming men around him like rag dolls with blasts of air which held strength his old enfeebled body could never dare to muster.

Gyatso had begun to tire, but he fought on despite the numerous burns and cuts he had endured. He had to give them time. If he couldn't hold them off long enough, the cycle would be broken. He had to give Roku time.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, and the air had grown thick with the smell of blood and the sound of the dying, Gyatso heard the message. IT IS FINISHED GYATSO. WE ARE AWAY. FLEE WHILE YOU CAN.

Gyatso found himself fighting his way through one of the tents that had been miraculously spared, its sides whipping around wildly in his duel with the Fire Nation. A ripping sound above him brought his face up to see the dagger as it plunged down into his chest. The aged monk staggered back to fall against a pack, sitting up to look into the face of his murderer, a young lieutenant wearing a firebender's armor.

"You're too late." Gyatso hacked as he spit up blood. "The last of us has evaded you."

"What will we do sir?" One of the common soldiers said behind the lieutenant. "The Fire Lord promised us death if we did not succeed in killing the last of the air nomads!"

"He lies." The lieutenant said looking down at the old monk uneasily. "He was the last one. We have done our duty."

Gyatso couldn't help but chuckle as he felt his life essence escape him. He could feel his spirit rising from his body now as he left the mortal realm. He was looking down at his body, but he wasn't seeing it as it was but as it had been.

For once, Gyatso was glad that Aang had left. Even his strength would have been little use here today against such odds, not until he could master the Avatar State. Gyatso's only regret was in never being able to tell him how much he loved him. The other monks had always thought that his favoritism for the boy had stemmed from his being the Avatar, but they didn't know the truth. _If you can hear me Aang, know that my prayers go with you, grandson._ And with that Gyatso died.

* * *

The spirit of Roku watched as Gyatso's spirit rose to depart for the spirit realm and the soldiers picked their way down the side of the mountain. He raised his hand, tempted to make the ground tremble and crush their life for their blaspheme, but he lowered it instead.

They would serve their purpose. As long as the Fire Lord believed that there were no survivors today he would not look further into the matter and it would be some time before he realized the Avatar had not been reborn. By then he would be entrenched in a war with the Water tribe trying to destroy them so that the avatar would be reborn into earth and finally back into fire.

Roku shook his head in sadness at the megalomania of his countrymen. If the air nomads were eradicated, then there would be no more Avatar. As it was, Aang would have to seek these remnants out one day to restore the cycle, but that was a task for later.

Roku prepared to leave, but looked one last time at the empty courtyard where Gyatso had fought. It seemed wrong to simply leave without some sort of memorial for the courageous old monk.

Roku lifted his arm and the stone lifted from the ground to form into a perfect likeness of Gyatso. This would have to be the man's memorial. As for now, he had to prepare to send the last of the nomads and this young Fire Nation whelp, Uchiha, someplace where they would be safe.

**Chapter 1.**

"I just want you to know, I blame you all." Naruto heard as he skimmed through the trees. It was his day for patrol duty… joy.

"How am _I _to blame for this nephew?" An older voice added as Naruto stopped in the limbs above to descend and investigate the voices.

"You? YOU?! Let's see, 'Why nephew, it would be dishonorable to expect the Avatar and his friends to depart on a quest to revive the air nomads without lending them assistance. Since it was our nation that nearly wiped them all out, it behooves us to fulfill our debt of honor to make up for the crimes of our family against them.' RING A BELL?" A very angry young man was shouting.

Naruto stooped to watch the strange procession moving through the forest. Two girls, two boys, and an old man were walking single file straight toward the hidden leaf village. He hid himself beneath the foliage and watched to see if they were friend or foe. Right now though, if they were ninja, screaming at each other wasn't exactly the best way to sneak up on the village hidden in the leaves.

"Please Zuko, it's not like we planned to have you fall into that ravine." One of the young women, the one in blue, said.

"Hoped for it, maybe, but definitely didn't plan on it." The other girl piped in.

The one named Zuko growled at the last comment, but kept his silence. Naruto noticed he had a nasty looking scar on his face which looked like a burn.

"So how far is it to this city that Aang saw?" The other boy, also dressed in blue remarked.

"It shouldn't be far, we should be running into someone before too much further." The young woman in blue replied.

"We already have, they've been watching us for the past few minutes." The younger of the two girls replied.

Naruto jerked back as he realized he must have been seen and prepared to dart away to find another safe place to observe or to warn the sentry when his world exploded in a flurry of leaves and everything went black.

* * *

"Oh, way to go Aang, I think you killed him." Sokka said irately to the young airbender as he landed.

Iroh looked at the prone form of the boy Aang had accidentally knocked from the trees as he barreled through the canopy. Iroh walked over to check the boy and noticed he was still breathing, which was a good sign. "No, he's alive, but I fear he may need your assistance Katara dear."

Katara moved quickly to the strange young boy's side and began checking his wounds. Everyone else gathered around to look at the newcomer. "We're here two days, and the almighty Avatar manages to create yet _another_ international incident." Zuko complained.

"It's not my fault, how was I supposed to know that he was in the trees above you?" Aang whimpered in concern at having hurt someone.

"He'll be alright, but look at his weird hair." Katara said pointing to the yellow locks that adorned the boy's head. "And are those whiskers?"

_That's not all that's wrong._ Iroh thought glancing down towards the young man's stomach in alarm as Toph moved to the other side of him and laid her hand on his chest. "His heartbeat is steady."

"You girls might want to get back, before he comes to." Iroh advised. "Unless I'm mistaken, those are weapons in those holsters he's carrying. We've stumbled upon an armed scout, or perhaps a sentry. He might react violently when he regains consciousness."

Groaning told everyone that such an awakening was going to be short in coming as well. Everyone but Iroh moved back to put a healthy distance between themselves and the strange boy that had stumbled onto them. Iroh sat down cross legged just out of arm's reach and waited for the boy to finish awakening. He didn't know what kind of alien environment they'd traveled to, but he wasn't taking any more chances than absolutely necessary.

"What happened?" The young man said as he slowly lifted his head up from the ground.

"I'm afraid you accidentally collided with our companion." Iroh said with relief when he realized they spoke the same language. Iroh tried not to look at the fox spirit that glared back at him malevolently from the boy's stomach.

The boy's head jerked up quickly and he swiftly flipped up into a battle ready stance. Iroh could tell without looking that his companions had most likely done the same out of instinct. He merely raised his hands apologetically.

"I am sorry if we startled you." Iroh said with his most charming smile. "We were traveling this way and apparently stumbled upon you by accident. My name is Iroh."

"Why are you headed for Konoha?" The man stated brusquely.

"You mean the city with the faces chiseled into the side of the mountain behind it? We saw it and were headed towards it hoping to find some civilization." Aang said quickly.

The young man did not look convinced. "How did you see it? It's supposed to be a hidden village?"

"It's pretty noticeable from the air." Aang said pointing upward.

"From the air? Do you have an airship?" The young warrior said looking up in alarm.

"Not at present, Appa wouldn't fit in the cave Iroh carried us to." Aang explained. "I'm an airbender, so I flew up to see where we were."

The young man looked suspicious, but he relaxed a little from his fighting stance. "Are you a ninja?"

"No, I'm an airbender, the Avatar to be exact. My friends and I have come here looking for the remnants of the air nomads. We were actually hoping to find clues to their whereabouts at the city just up ahead." Aang continued.

"I've never heard of an 'airbender' before, and I've never heard of 'air nomads' before either, if you continue on this path though you're going to be attacked if you aren't escorted." The young warrior told them.

"Can you escort us to your village then?" Katara asked the young man.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm supposed to round up any intruders anyway and bring them in for questioning. The Hokage will want to speak with you." The yellow haired youth replied. "By the way, my name's Uzumaki Naruto."

Iroh sat there for a moment and then got up slowly, his tired old body groaning from the effort. "Well, Uzumaki Naruto I guess we had better go introduce ourselves to this 'Hokage' of yours. I have just one other question."

Naruto looked back at him curiously. "What's that?"

"Does your village sell tea?"

* * *

The distance passed quickly as this 'Naruto' guided the group toward an open road, and then led them swiftly towards the 'Village Hidden in the Leaves' that Aang had described as being the size of a small city. Katara wondered briefly why a hidden village would want an open road leading to it, but decided not to ask.

The trip had been a long one, and Katara was anxious to get the quest over with. Traveling with Zuko tended to grate on her nerves, and the arrogant, self-absorbed Fire Prince seemed to almost enjoy making her angry on a regular basis.

"We have to blindfold you here, sorry but its standard practice." Naruto explained as he pulled some strips of cloth from his belt. As fortune would have it, he started with Toph.

"Can't you see I'm blind." Toph asked irately.

"You're blind?" Naruto said stupidly.

"Of course, why do you think my eyes are white?" Toph asked him as if addressing the stupidest ninja for miles.

"Actually I thought you might be related to the Hyuuga clan. All their eyes are the same color as yours and they see better than anyone in the whole village." Naruto replied honestly.

"You're kidding right?" Toph asked in disbelief.

"Nope, though now that you mention it, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to blindfold them either." Naruto said moving to Sokka.

"Great, now I can't see anything." Sokka groused.

"Oh my, how terrible!" Toph shot back to him with mock desperation.

"Must you?" Sokka replied.

"Are you sure you can't see anything?" Naruto said waving his hands in front of the Water tribe warriors face as if someone being taken in for questioning would say, 'Why yes, I can!'.

"Here, let's find out." Toph said pulling Sokka away from the group a little so that her back was to the rest of them and she was facing Sokka. Katara stifled a chuckle as the young girl then grabbed the front of her tunic and flashed Sokka.

"Did you see anything?" Toph asked with a grin as Naruto tried not to laugh.

"Not a thing." Sokka said honestly.

"Not like he would anyway, even _without_ the blindfold." Zuko snorted.

What the _prince_ didn't see was the punch. It landed soundly on his jaw and sent him reeling a good four feet backwards before he slammed to the ground, hard. Katara didn't bother stifling the laugh this time. "Blind, yes. Deaf, no." Katara said smiling with a tear coming to her eye.

"Um, uh, yeah, are you sure you're not a Hyuuga?" Naruto asked.

"Nope, Toph Beifong. I don't think I've ever met a Hyuuga before." Toph said glibly.

"I envy them." Zuko said spitting dust as he got up.

Naruto quickly finished blindfolding them and carried them into the forest. Katara walked along blindly, being led by Sokka, who was in turn led by Toph. She also held Aang's hand while Naruto guided Zuko and Iroh. They'd been walking for quite a while when Toph finally spoke. "Look, Naruto, I hate to break it to you but making us walk back and forth to make it seem like it's a long way off isn't working. Can we PLEASE just head straight to the village? If I have to stand here smelling the food coming from there any longer my stomach is going to start eating its way out through my chest.

"Small dish." Zuko noted before Katara heard a distinct 'oof'. "Do I ever try to trip you?" Zuko retorted.

"Like you could." Toph shot back.

"Uh, yeah the smell's starting to get to me too." Naruto admitted. "Look if anyone asks we've been walking for about two hours. I'm going to drop you guys off at the Hokage's office and then I'm going for ramen."

A few minutes later, Katara thankfully stripped the blindfold off. They were now inside a large gate and Naruto was making a report to two men who looked official. The strange city sprawled out in front of them, and Katara finally caught a whiff of the smells that Toph and Naruto had been referring to.

Naruto then led the group through the strangest looking streets that Katara had ever seen. Tubes and cables were draped from building to building, and large poles ran along the side of the street holding up yet more cables. It looked so alien, she looked toward Sokka to ask what was going on, but found her brother staring in apprehension ahead of them. There in front them stood a large tower with the symbol for 'fire' on it.

"You're doing to the talking." Sokka said turning to Iroh. The old general nodded solemnly and all them wondered just where they had landed.

* * *

Tsunade looked over her folded hands at the latest pain in the rear that Naruto had managed to drop into her lap.

"We are strangers in your land." The old man that all the kids called 'Iroh' said as he stepped forward to address Tsunade. He bowed elegantly with a flourish and then flashed the Hokage with a winning smile. "We humbly ask that we be allowed to remain in your village while we continue our quest."

Naruto looked at Tsunade questioningly as the Hokage coyly leaned her face against her palm and looked the old man in the eye. After a moment Naruto noticed the old man's eyes were starting to twitch.

"Finding it hard to look me in the eye?" Tsunade asked politely.

The old man named Iroh was now trembling slightly, as the young scarred man merely snorted and rolled his eyes. The rest of the kids merely coughed while the blind girl was grinning openly. "His heart rate just doubled." She whispered to the girl next to her with a snicker.

Finally, Iroh closed his eyes and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry if I offend." He said apologetically. "I'm not accustomed to addressing a woman with such a formidable... beauty."

"Old habits die hard." The scarred young man murmured.

"No offense taken." Tsunade said with aplomb. "Kakashi's given up trying, and it's been so long since Jiraiya's looked me in the eyes that I've forgotten his eye color. You're quite the gentleman for lasting as long as you did though."

"So tell me, Iroh-san, where exactly are you from?" Tsunade asked mildly. Naruto seldom heard her be polite with anyone.

"We are not all from the same land, but each of us is from very far away. Aang here is the last of his kind, and we are hoping to find the remnants of some of his people that may have migrated here long ago, possibly as long as one hundred years ago." Iroh explained. Even Naruto could tell that the old man was hiding something, and something important.

"I see." Tsunade said seriously. "Shizune, our guests are obviously tired and hungry. Could you please take them to get something to eat? I need to speak with Naruto for a moment."

Shizune nodded and motioned for the group to follow her. Naruto watched in envy as they headed off for freedom. "Look Baa-chan, can I go too? I have a coupon for ramen that's eating a hole in my pocket."

"Not just yet Naruto." Tsunade commanded as the last of the little party filed out of the room. She then waited a moment before she continued. "What do you think?"

Naruto was about to speak when Kakashi appeared next to him. "A stranger bunch I've not seen in a while."

"They aren't being very forthcoming." Jiraiya agreed as he also seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Ero-sennin, what are you doing here?" Naruto demanded.

"Never mind that Naruto, what all did you hear from these people?" Tsunade asked.

"Well, apparently the one with the scar is the old man's nephew, and the bald headed one can fly." Naruto recounted.

"Possibly from the star village then?" Jiraiya asked Tsunade.

"I doubt it; while they're the only ninja that can fly they have to be extremely powerful to accomplish it. I don't think that boy would be old enough to have developed that much chakra control." Tsunade countered.

"Well, he did call himself the 'Avatar'. What does that mean?" Naruto asked.

"Never heard of him." Kakashi noted as he flipped a page in his book. "It could be some kind of nickname."

"The two girls and that boy in blue seemed to be deferring to him as well." Jiraiya noted.

"You _would_ notice what the girls were doing." Naruto accused the old lecher.

"There's something fishy about the old man and his nephew too." Tsunade said getting up and walking to the window where you could just see the party headed off to the Ichiraku ramen stand behind Shizune. "Normal people aren't as practiced in the social graces as he is. His hands are also strange. They look like the hands of a warrior, and yet somehow soft at the same time." Tsunade said wistfully.

Naruto looked at Jiraiya and Kakashi who were exchanging strange glances with each other before Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose it _is_ possible that he comes from some sort of noble clan from within his village."

"That's the part that intrigues me." Tsunade continued. "We've got information on every noble ninja clan in existence within the five major villages, but there isn't any mention of anyone like him."

"Do you think they might really be from some far distant land?" Jiraiya asked. "One with a ninja village we know nothing about?"

"I don't know, but I think that this 'Iroh' bears some closer scrutiny. There's something else about their story too that doesn't sit well with me. I just can't put my finger on it. I'm going to meet with the village elders in the morning. I'm going to discuss this with them. Until then, Naruto, I believe there is a vacancy in the building you live in correct?" Tsunade asked finally turning to the young genin.

"Yeah, so?" Naruto blurted rudely.

"I am going to arrange for these travelers to stay in the same building with you. I want you to keep a close eye on them until I decide what to do with them. Dismissed." Tsunade said officiously before returning to her desk.

**A/N: What can I say? It was a challenge put forward in the forums, and it serves as an interesting diversion from my other writing. I said it before, and I'll say it again… Do NOT expect my usual update schedule for this story. I'll be busy updating my other stories weekly to work on this one much.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, here's the long awaited chapter two of this little story experiment. I hope you like it, and if not I hope you write one better so I can have something to read…**

**Chapter 2.**

Tsunade tossed fitfully trying to sleep. Something echoed around in her mind refusing to let her slip off into slumber. It was almost as if a faded memory of a dream was trying to break free from the recesses of her mind to once again see the light of day.

Finally, giving up on sleep for the moment, the fifth Hokage wrapped herself in a light robe and wandered into her library to find something to read that might help her sleep. It was unusual for her to read herself to sleep, but right now something was drawing her towards her books that she couldn't explain.

Tsunade found herself standing in front of the village's historical records. There was something now eating away at the back of her mind, something very old. Something about all the things she'd heard today. Tsunade stopped in front of a particular volume and pulled it from the shelf. She opened the aged volume slowly, trepidation of what she might find there holding her back.

Somehow she knew she'd found the right passage. She had opened the book right to the place where she remembered the passage from before. She had been a genin then, studying under Sarutobi-sensei, but she read the lines like she'd just read them the day before. So _that_ was what was going on.

A hoot from an owl brought Tsunade's attention to the window where instead of the bird she expected, she saw a fox sitting on the windowsill outside staring at her with knowing eyes. It almost looked as if it winked at her before it bounded off the edge and into the night. It occurred to the woman that they were pretty high up, so she rushed to see if the animal had landed safely, but when she arrived there was nothing but darkness.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune said sleepily as she turned on the light. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep." Tsunade said absently, the words of the passage echoing through her mind. "Shizune, clear my schedule of anything after the meeting with the village elders, I have some business I must attend to."

Katara awoke in the dark room and immediately sat up, her heart pounding as she looked around her in distress. It took a moment for her to become accustomed to the alien surroundings. It was the first time she's slept without her brother or Aang near her in quite some time. She didn't realize how accustomed she'd come to be with their reassuring presence near her.

Toph yawned and sat up rubbing her eyes in the small bed across the room from her. "Is it morning already?"

"Only just." Katara noted as faint light filtered in through the only window in the room. It was odd that there would be such small windows in this place. They barely provided any light, and from what she could tell one of the rooms didn't even _have_ a window for light.

"I don't see why we had to all be separated." Toph said as she started getting dressed.

"I don't know either." Katara said, rising herself. She quickly dressed and the two girls quickly stepped out into the apartment that Naruto had shown them to the night before. The two girls peeked out in the corridor and then stepped across the hall to the door that led to the quarters that had been given to the boys.

Katara opened the door without knocking, since it was just her brother and Aang. It was then as she stood there staring at Zuko dripping wet wearing nothing but a towel that Katara suddenly remembered that Zuko and Iroh were ALSO in attendance. Instinctively, Katara put her hand over Toph's eyes.

"Katara…" Toph started to say.

"Sorry, forgot." Katara said sheepishly before turning back to the unclothed prince. "Zuko, what are you doing running around naked?"

"Naked? Man, I'm glad I'm blind." Toph snorted.

_Maybe, maybe not._ Katara thought wryly, noting the finely sculpted muscles of the prince. He was a jerk, true, but he was a _good-looking_ jerk.

"I just got out of the shower, and what do YOU mean by barging in here?" Zuko countered.

"We came looking for Aang and Sokka. We forgot you and your uncle had been given the same room, okay?" Katara shot back hotly.

Zuko snorted something about stupid peasant girls and stalked off into a different room. As he left, Sokka came in looking around as if something were bothering him.

"Hey, Sokka, what the heck was Zuko talking about being in a 'shower'? There isn't any rain today." Katara asked.

"Oh, Aang's in there now, he'll be out in a minute." Sokka said absently looking around the room further.

"What?" Katara said as she watched her brother examine the cabinets in the room closely.

"I do hear some sort of rain." Toph put in.

"It's called 'plumbing', you ignorant peasant." Zuko said coming out of his room clothed and drying his hair with the towel. "We had it in the palace and on my ship. Hot water from the boiler is pumped through pipes to a valve where it can be turned on and off, though why a run down place like this would have such a luxury is beyond me."

"Oh so I guess YOU know all there is to know about this place?" Sokka shot angrily at the prince. "Like, this, for instance."

Katara watched as Sokka reached over to the wall and flipped a switch. Suddenly a small globe of some kind set into the ceiling flared to life filling the room with light. The reason these people didn't bother with large windows started to become apparent to the young waterbender. The Fire Prince as well seemed at a loss for words.

"Or maybe you have an explanation for this." Sokka said opening the door to a large white box. Inside, she could see the water vapor coming off of several frozen items and trays filled with ice.

"That's not all!" Sokka said as he turned a knob on a strange counter. The counter had four spiral pieces of metal on top of it, one of which began to glow a bright orange.

"Sokka, what is it?" Toph complained. "I can't see these things, how did you discover all this?"

"Strict scientific method, the way I learn about everything." Sokka said proudly.

"Yeah, I bet." Katara muttered noticing the spiral shaped burn mark on the seat of Sokka's pants that she would most likely be expected to repair later.

Aang by this point had joined them after his own 'shower'. "We definitely never had anything like that back in the southern air temple." The bald monk said drying off his shiny scalp.

"So where is Iroh?" Katara asked looking around for the old man. She didn't really trust Zuko without the old man around to keep him in check.

"Some of these 'ninja' came and got him this morning. They said he was invited to tea with that Hokage woman." Zuko said sourly, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, does anybody else find these people at all strange?" Sokka put in.

"Should we even be talking about it? Far all we know they put us in these rooms so they could spy on us." Zuko said looking around the room critically. Everyone else looked straight at Toph.

"We're clear." She reported.

"So do you think that we're safe here?" Aang asked the group in general.

"Who knows, but I wonder what's up with that kid we met. He has two heartbeats, but is apparently the only one here who does." Toph said unceremoniously squatting cross legged on the floor.

"Yeah, and that Hokage woman has that strange yellow hair too." Katara said sitting down at the table with her brother and Aang.

"Well hopefully we won't have to stay here long. I'm hoping that we'll be able to find some air nomads and get going as quickly as possible." Sokka said leaning back in his chair.

"I don't know; I could get used to regular showers again." Zuko said stretching. "That; and you never know when my sister might try to kill me again. So tell me, why's it so important that you find these air nomads anyway."

"Because if we _don't_," Katara lectured, "the Avatar cycle will be broken when it gets back to the element of air. We have to find these air nomads and bring them back so that there can be future airbenders to carry on the cycle."

"Yeah, but you already have one airbender. It just means that Aang's going to have to repopulate the airbenders." Zuko pointed out.

"It's not that simple." Aang told him. "Bending runs in families, if an airbender and a waterbender marry, their children have an even chance of being airbenders or waterbenders only if the parents are roughly equivalent in power, otherwise the dominant bending traits take over."

"Yeah, but you're the Avatar. You can't get more dominant than that." Zuko argued.

"I'm getting to that. While I might be a powerful bender, I'm also equally distributed across all four elements. In the past, when Avatars before me had children, they always took on the traits from their other parent because that was what tipped the scales in favor of that element. So the only way I could have airbending children…" Aang said letting the last part dangle.

"Is if you have an air nomad as the mother." Zuko finished. Aang nodded sadly.

Looking at Aang pulled at Katara's heart. She knew how the young monk felt for her, and knew this was hurting him. He'd looked haunted ever since the night Roku had come to him in his dreams and told him what he must do. She knew that being the Avatar meant more than being just Aang, but sometimes she wished destiny would just let him be the boy he wanted to be.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to find some air nomad girl to make a man out of the runt then. Then maybe my uncle will let me call this stupid quest to pay back my debt of honor fulfilled and we can all go home." Zuko said insensitively as he put his hands behind his head and reclined backwards.

Katara wasn't exactly sure what hit him first; the ice ball, the rock, the boomerang, or the glider, but whatever the case Zuko was finally quiet and stayed that way for a while.

"You wished to see me Hokage-sama?" Iroh said bowing deeply.

"Yes, I just finished my meeting with the village elders and was wondering if you would like to see the tower?" Tsunade said smiling at the old gentleman.

"I would be honored." Iroh said bowing deeply again as Tsunade stood from her desk and joined him. Shizune started to follow, but Tsunade waved her off. "Iroh-san and I would like to be alone for a while."

Tsunade smirked at the stunned expression on Shizune's face and politely took the arm Iroh offered her as she led him into the tower. Shizune was certainly always one to jump to the worst conclusions.

Tsunade escorted the mysterious man through the Hokage's library as the two of them made small talk. Iroh was pleasant to speak to and was far more urbane than most of the rough-around-the-edges ninja she dealt with on a daily basis. He reminded her a great deal of her father in his innate ability to be the commensurate diplomat, while still carrying himself like a formidable fighter.

Tsunade escorted the man to one of the lower rooms of the tower where the village's museum of relics was kept. She had some suspicions that needed to be confirmed. They wandered around the room as Tsunade explained the significance of each one until she stopped in front of a case and drew Iroh's attention to it.

"This artifact," Tsunade said pleasantly, "was a suit of armor worn by the founding member of the Uchiha clan nearly one hundred years ago. He married a member of the Hyuuga clan, and their offspring, Madara, inherited the Sharingan eye bloodline trait."

Tsunade was impressed. The old man's eyes betrayed absolutely nothing, but his pulse which she had monitored using her chakra the entire time jumped erratically when he saw the armor. She knew she had him then.

"Would you care to have some sake with me in my office?" Tsunade continued pleasantly.

"I would prefer tea, if it is alright with you. I make it a point never to drink sake anymore." Iroh said pleasantly as he walked with her back to her office.

"Oh, why is that?" Tsunade asked absently.

Iroh didn't say anything for a few moments before he finally replied. "I have lost many things in my life, some of them I valued more than others. Sake was never able to replace those things that I lost, and can make a man lose even more if he isn't careful."

Tsunade walked silently for the rest of the way back to her office. When she arrived she dismissed Shizune and told her to have Sakura bring some tea up to them. She then returned to her seat behind the table.

"You have me at a disadvantage my dear. Am I to assume you learned what it is you wished to know?" Iroh asked once Shizune was gone.

"A little." Tsunade agreed. "Right now I'm wondering if you have the same bloodline trait."

"A bloodline trait?" Iroh asked innocently. "I'm afraid you still have me at a disadvantage my dear."

"A bloodline trait is a power that runs through families that gives them special abilities with their chakra. Some families also develop special techniques that they keep as closely guarded secrets, many times techniques that can only be used in conjunction with their bloodline traits. These are similar to your 'bending'." Tsunade said quietly.

"You know about bending then?" Iroh asked seriously as he looked out the window quietly.

"Only a little, so tell me Iroh-san, are you from the Fire Nation and are you a firebender? What all are you not telling me?" Tsunade demanded.

Iroh sighed in defeat as Sakura knocked quietly at the door and entered bringing the tea. Tsunade had the girl bring Iroh a chair as well and the two sat down to tea as Sakura let herself out of the room. "The hair colors of your people get stranger by the day." The old man noted.

"You won't be able to change the subject that easily." Tsunade said with a smirk as she sipped her drink.

"I wasn't planning to." Iroh replied. "I must again apologize. I did not know how well we would be received here if you knew the truth."

"You will find I tend to be rather open minded." Tsunade assured him.

"Yes, you might be at that." Iroh agreed. "I am more formally addressed as General Iroh or Prince Iroh, depending on the situation. I am the son of Fire Lord Azulon. My nephew, Zuko, is also a prince and is, or rather was the heir to the throne of the Fire Nation. We are both firebenders. All of the young people that came here with us are also benders with the exception of Katara's brother Sokka."

"So where are they from?" Tsunade asked removing a book from her desk.

"Katara and Sokka are from the Water Tribe, Toph is from the Earth Kingdom, and Aang is an Air Nomad. It is his people we are here searching for. That much was no lie." Iroh explained.

"So why did you not wish to disclose where you were really from?" Tsunade asked.

"Where we are from, our nation has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbors for nearly a hundred years. It was my people that nearly destroyed Aang's people. I am here to atone for their misdeeds and to hopefully teach my nephew what it means to be truly honorable. I know it is hard to believe, but I do not even think that we are from your world." Iroh said sipping his tea. "Jasmine… I like jasmine."

"I believe you." Tsunade said reading the book again. "This is a book that was written by my mentor the third Hokage. He was a young man when he began studying some of the bloodline traits in our village. Among them, the bloodline traits of the Uchiha clan, do you know what he has written here?"

Iroh shook his head and Tsunade continued. "He writes, 'I have never seen anything like this capacity for wielding fire among the Uchiha clan. It seems as if they need barely any chakra at all to wield any fire jutsu which they wish. This combined with their Sharingan eye has catapulted them to a position of prominence among our village that has never been seen before. When I began to study this trait, I was taken to the aged patron of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha himself, the father of Uchiha Madara for whom the clan was named. It was from him that the Uchiha draw their strength with the fire element and why all members of the Uchiha clan are nearly exclusively aligned with fire.'"

Tsunade paused to take a sip of her tea before she continued. "'When I asked Uchiha about this he said something very strange. He said that it was odd that his family should be so inclined to fire since he himself had never been a firebender. I found this odd, but didn't really question it until later when I was called for while the man lay dying. He told me that he was not from our world, and told of how a spirit named Roku had first brought him to our world along with several other people. He told me that since he was dying, I would have to keep watch in his place since the rest of the family had thought that he'd gone mad or senile. That last thing he told me before he died was, 'The Avatar will be coming for them'. At the time, I thought he was mad as well, before I looked into it and discovered that he had indeed come to our land with some other travelers, and that the first Hokage hadn't been able to find out where it was that they had originated from. Still today as I write this I don't know if these are the ravings of a senile old man, or a cryptic warning, but one thing is certain. He was sincere in his belief in this Avatar, and that I would be wise to watch for him.'"

Tsunade placed the book aside and looked at Iroh over her folded hands. Iroh looked hopeful. "So what exactly is this 'Avatar'?"

"The Avatar is the embodiment of all four elements. He is able to wield all four while the rest of us cannot." Iroh stated plainly. "He is also the bridge between the spirit world and our mortal world. I suspect he is also a bridge to your world as well. It was he who brought us here through the spirit world."

"So that boy has that much power?" Tsunade asked.

"I think he's only beginning to scratch the surface." The old general replied. "After he defeated my brother and restored peace to our world, the spirit of the Avatar before him told him of the remnant of his people and the possibility of restoring them."

"So none of you use chakra to wield your element?" Tsunade pressed.

"I don't know. I don't really know what your chakra even is." Iroh answered truthfully. "But if you can tell me, what became of the other travelers that came here with Uchiha?"

Tsunade sighed. "They left. They were apparently as nomadic as you claim. They didn't remain here for very long at all before they all wandered off. Uchiha was the only one who stayed."

"I guess I shouldn't have dared to hope." Iroh sighed. "We'll probably never find them now."

"I wouldn't be so certain general." Tsunade said happily. "If their abilities are similar to your own I'm sure their descendants will stand out. For now, let's go find Kakashi. I think I'd like to see some of this 'bending' of yours."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not own either Avatar: The Last Airbender, or Naruto. I better get started writing on this some more, I've nearly caught up with myself on it...**

**Chapter 3.**

The two opponents faced off across the field of battle. Both of them had been referred to as the best by different people; but now they were here to see for themselves who deserved the title of 'master'.

The young woman between them looked on in interest as she lowered her hand in an age-old signal to begin. Both men leaned forward, each of them standing still to study his opponent, watching the battle as if from the sidelines in their mind.

The larger of the two was the first to move, not out of impatience, but out of a wealth of experience that allowed him to measure up his opponent much more swiftly than his smaller counterpart despite his impressive ability.

The smaller man had left his weapons behind opting to fight his opponent with only his hand-to-hand abilities and special skills. "I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're an old man." Kakashi said seriously.

"And I won't be going easy on you because of your youth and inexperience." Iroh said with a feral grin. He could tell from the man's stance he was an experienced fighter and Iroh hadn't had a good fight in years.

Iroh reached his opponent and released a flurry of blows to test the blocking ability of his opponent. He found it to be excellent beyond his expectations. The eerie red left eye stared back at him as he spun into a low crouch, his lower center of gravity allowing him a low fighting stance that was ideal for sweeps. Iroh quickly recognized the potential of this man's mimicry. He was able to respond to any attack he could see with his left eye. Iroh jabbed and swung from the right, utilized the blind spots of the left eye, and even delayed strikes until his opponent blinked, hoping to get around the seemingly impenetrable defense of the Konoha copy ninja. Everything failed. No matter how much of a temporary edge he gained by attacking from his blind spots, Kakashi's youth and speed would still allow him to block in time no matter how close he might get.

Finally, feigning fatigue, Iroh fell back allowing Kakashi to dominate the fight. No matter how tricky, powerful, or quick Kakashi might be though, Iroh's own battle experience was unmatched. He was simply able to anticipate and counter from decades of fighting for his life against equally masterful fighters. Iroh was a veteran of wars that only rewarded failure with death, and he had prevailed against odds that had buried lesser men.

"You still haven't used any jutsu." Kakashi noted clinically, his breathing strained.

"You first." Iroh challenged, he himself also a bit winded.

From the sidelines, more than a few spectators had come to see this epic fight with more than passing interest. From genin to jounin, people were flocking to see just what the stranger to Konoha was capable of and what one of the greatest ninjas in the village could REALLY do.

"Well, I guess it's time to get serious." Kakashi said jovially.

"Good, I'd like to get back to my tea." Iroh countered.

Kakashi leaped back for a moment, dropping one of his hands and gripping his wrists, and gathering power into his hands before launching himself at Iroh. Iroh held two fingers before him, and as everyone looked on in horror and shock, seized Kakashi's palm in his own locking his fingers between his own. However, instead of seeing Iroh fried from the electricity or seeing his arm explode into a million burning fragments, Iroh merely stepped back, drawing his fingers down in an arc to his belly before lunging back forward himself as his fingers completed the circle up bringing the lightning into his own palm headed straight for Kakashi's chest.

Kakashi's speed and his strange eye were the only things that saved him. He grabbed Iroh's wrist and halted his palm only inches from his heart, the electricity still dancing between them, occasionally arcing between the two as they faced each other.

"Amazing, so this is what the fourth Hokage meant when he told me that the Chidori was an incomplete jutsu. Without the sharingan, you would have killed me just now." Kakashi said in surprise.

"Why are you so shocked?" Iroh asked conversationally. Neither man had yet to budge.

"In all the years I've used the Chidori, only a few have ever dodged it, none have ever blocked it, and absolutely _nobody_ has ever returned it." The copy ninja replied. "I'd almost say this is a stalemate except you seem to be grinning."

"Well, it's because I know something you don't know." The aged general said sheepishly.

"What's that?" The younger jounin asked nervously.

"I know how I got the nickname 'Dragon of the West'." The Dragon of the West said as he pulled in his breath and spewed forth a fiery blast directly into the face of his masked adversary.

A brief puff of smoke was all Iroh needed to know that his opponent had escaped his blast. As the smoke and flame cleared, Iroh looked around to see if he could locate his foe. Since the trees were too far away, to provide an easy avenue of escape, Iroh leaped back, swinging his arms in a wide arc and bathing the ground in the hottest flames he could muster. Sweat beaded from his forehead until Kakashi popped from the ground like a gull-dolphin from the waters of his home.

Iroh was relentless, flowing through his firebending stances and sending fireball after fireball after his dancing opponent. Kakashi's eye kept him one step ahead of the old general however, until he finally retreated to the river.

Iroh was in hot pursuit, and reached the river just as Kakashi summoned forth a torrent of water that was shaped like a mighty blue dragon as it spiraled toward the old warrior. Iroh replied with a dragon of fire launched from his own palms that lunged forward and collided with its antithesis, drenching the entire battlefield in hot steam.

The two men fought for what seemed like an eternity, Kakashi gaining the upper hand only for scant seconds before being pressed back by the more experienced general. By the end of an hour of such non-stop fighting, both men were nearly breathless and looked ready to drop.

"How are you still standing?" Kakashi asked. "I'm nearly out of chakra."

"I don't know what chakra is, but I'm nearly spent from fatigue." Iroh said swaying a little from the effort of fighting the man.

"Kakashi is right though." Tsunade announced seriously from the sidelines. "Your chakra levels have barely dropped since the beginning of this match, while his reserves are critically low."

"I see." Iroh said without much understanding.

"At this rate you'll win, simply by outlasting me in endurance." Kakashi told him honestly.

"Very well, then I yield." Iroh said dropping his hands and bowing respectfully.

"You what?" Shizune asked since she was the official referee for the match.

"I said 'I yield'." Iroh said politely. "It would be considered rude to defeat such a splendid opponent before his own people if it is only by weight of endurance."

"A defeat is still a defeat though; sometimes outlasting your opponent is the only way." Kakashi reasoned.

"I have noticed that such victories tend to be hollow ones. They come after much loss, sacrifice, and hard labor spent for nothing in trying to gain the upper hand. A city called Ba Sing Se taught me that lesson a long time ago. I wish I had learned it sooner." Iroh said sagely. "Besides, I haven't had such a splendid sparring match in twenty years."

Kakashi stood and bowed to the aged general. "Then I shall yield to you as well sir. It would be rude to defeat such a wise and skilled opponent."

Iroh laughed with his deep rich laughter that often softened the faces of others into a smile. "I believe 'old' would be a better term than 'wise', but very well, I accept, a draw then."

The two clasped their hands in friendship and walked from the training ground as the village looked on in awestruck wonder. Some man dressed in green was standing nearby with his jaw nearly down to his navel. "KAKASHI!"

"Yes Gai?"

"You've been holding out on me!" The jounin wailed, running off like a schoolboy whose best friend just refused to play tag with him.

"Never mind him, he'll probably just go train extra hard for a few weeks and then be back to challenging me regularly." Kakashi said in response to Iroh's quizzical glance.

"Well, there is one thing that you have that I don't." Iroh said sadly.

"Oh, what's that?"

"Youth. I think I'm going to be feeling this tomorrow." Iroh said weakly as he hobbled towards Tsunade.

* * *

The two opponents faced off across the field of battle. Both of them had been referred to as the best by different people; but now they were here to see for themselves who deserved the title of 'master'.

The young woman between them looked on in interest as she lowered her hand in an age-old signal to begin. Both men leaned forward, neither of them needing to see his opponent's movements. They each knew what needed to be done and they were here to show they could do it better.

The larger of the two was the first to move, not out of impatience, but out of a wealth of experience that allowed him to measure up his opponent much more swiftly than his smaller counterpart despite his impressive ability.

The larger man worked the sticks in his hand deftly, with a true master's skill, jabbing, swinging, and manipulating his quarry with practiced grace. His opponent, moved with great speed, relying on his own quickness and agility to make up for his obvious lack of experience. Their battle lasted for exactly one hour, the agreed upon time limit to determine who would claim the prize.

"Done!" Ino proclaimed dropping her hand between the two.

"Crap!" Sokka exclaimed looking down at his six plates of barbecue.

"Another one bites the dust." Choji proclaimed proudly as he patted his belly in satisfaction. He had downed no fewer than ten plates.

"I'm telling you Sokka, it's hopeless. Even _I_ can't beat Choji." Naruto told him as he lounged in a nearby chair with his arms folded over the backrest and his chin resting peacefully on top. Choji had just beaten him, as he'd only gotten nine down to Choji's eleven.

"Yes, but you come closer than most." The huge shinobi said sympathetically to his gastrointestinally challenged friend. After all, not everyone could be as blessed with girth as he was.

"GUYS!" Kiba screamed as he careened into the barbecue hang out.

"What is it Kiba?" Naruto said jumping to his feet excitedly.

"Danger?" Sokka asked jumping to his feet with his boomerang at the ready.

"An Akatsuki attack?" Naruto said pulling his Kunai.

"All-you-can-eat-ramen night at Ichiraku?" Choji asked hopefully.

"Little Timmy fell down the well?" Shikamaru said jumping in from nowhere.

"Not funny." Kiba shot back at the slacker flatly. "No; Kakashi is fighting that old guy Iroh!"

"You're kidding, right? Kakashi-sensei wouldn't attack a guest of the village." Naruto said dismissively as he put away his weapon.

"I think it was some sort of sparring match set up by the Hokage." Shikamaru said nonchalantly.

"You mean you knew and didn't tell us?" The blonde demanded.

"That would have been too troublesome." The personification of laziness said waving the blonde off.

"How long did Iroh-san last?" Choji asked curiously. The match was probably long over now. It was a pity he'd missed it, but then it's hard to pass up a loser-buys-the-meal eating contest.

"That's just it!" Kiba cried in exasperation. "They're still at it!"

"What; did one of them run off and the other one had to hunt him down?" Naruto said obviously remembering his own fight he'd had with his old sensei alongside Sakura.

"No, stupid, that's what I'm trying to tell you! This was a straight combat match, and it's been going on for over an hour!"

All the young people in the place leaped to their feet and ran for the door only to stop short at encountering the two older fighters as they entered. Choji stared openly at the large man that undoubtedly must be this 'Iroh' that he'd heard so much about. He was walking in beside Kakashi as the two talked about past fights and escapades.

"And then I stood over his bed, waving my swords over my head and screaming 'BOOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH'!" Iroh said before he broke into laughter.

Choji was surprised to hear a rare chuckle escape from Kakashi. "So he screamed like a girl?"

"Yes, I thought I was going to wet myself when he did." Iroh confided. "So, is this the barbecue place you were referring to?"

"Yes, best barbecue in the village." The copy ninja noted.

Choji looked at the fat general and gauged his own appetite. He'd beaten Sokka and Naruto, but those two didn't have enough rear in their pants to amount to much. This man would be a challenge worth making. Using his clan's techniques to quickly metabolize his meals from earlier, Choji was nearly beaming with excess chakra as he stepped forward to stand in the path of this 'Iroh'.

"Master." Choji announced formally. "I'm here to challenge you."

**A/N: A quick easter egg and plug for one of my favorite ATLA authors. The incident Iroh refers to with Kakashi is taken from Vicki So's work, Drabbletar: The Fast Entrybender, in the chapter titled 'Patience'. If you're looking for good Avatar writing, she's the person to go to.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am continually surprised by how many people have read this story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest installment.**

**Chapter 4.**

"I really must insist!" Hyuuga was growling. "I do NOT approve of these people being allowed unfettered access to the village. They are outsiders, and after seeing the fighting ability of this Iroh they are obviously ninja sent to spy on us."

The elders looked impassively and turned to see what Tsunade would do. The Hyuuga clan was powerful and not one that should be slighted, but Tsunade disliked the idea of mistreating a guest of the village.

"My Choji came home crying just a little while ago!" The massive Chouza spouted indignantly. "He's shut himself in his room and won't come out claiming to have disgraced the clan somehow. All Ino will tell me is that Iroh put him to shame somehow."

Tsunade really hated these meetings. She didn't know how Sarutobi-sensei ever managed. She'd even read his journal, and for the life of her she couldn't imagine how he dealt with the stress of constantly hearing these people whine. She then grinned broadly as a wicked little plan to have some fun with the village elders hatched in her mind.

"I'm certain Iroh-kun wouldn't mean any harm to anyone. He's one of the gentlest men I've met." Tsunade said sweetly with a wistful sigh put in for good measure. The resulting silence was deafening as everyone gathered looked at each other and eye twitches seemed to break out everywhere in epidemic proportions.

"Be that as it may…" Hiashi said slowly, "We still cannot let them just roam the village unattended.

"Good point." Tsunade said with false appreciation. Sarutobi had been right. Messing with Hiashi _did_ prove amusing. "Since Naruto already knows these young people, I'll have him watch over them." _Go for the bait…_

"That boy won't be nearly enough to watch all five of them." The Hyuuga patron snorted.

_Gotcha. _"You know, you're right. I'm going to assign Hinata and Neji to the task as well. Between the two of them, they'll be able to watch them better than anyone else in the village."

Hiashi's mouth worked noiselessly, for once, as Tsunade leaned her face against her fist with a casual glance at her quarry. "True, but this Iroh is powerful, I think you should assign a shinobi with more experience."

"Oh, don't worry. For the safety of the village, I'm having Iroh moved to quarters closer to the tower. I'll be keeping an eye on him personally. I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on." The Hokage said with her most winning smile and another wistful sigh added in for good measure.

Tsunade could feel the temperature in the room drop considerably, which would have explained the sudden chills everyone seemed to be getting. She had to put on her best face to keep from laughing. She hadn't seen the village elders this addled since the discussion about what to do when Naruto became sexually active.

"Very well." Hiashi said stiffly rising to leave. "I'll notify the two of them immediately."

Tsunade nodded and dismissed the pompous pain in the rear from the meeting. Everyone else got up to leave as well. As everyone left, Kurenai lingered behind. She tended to attend the meetings to stay abreast of goings on in the village more than any real need to be there.

"Are you sure what you're doing is wise?" The insightful jounin said after everyone was gone.

"Don't worry, I know Hinata is your student, but she is also a trained shinobi. Besides, Iroh and his group are harmless. I know more about this situation than I'm letting on." The older woman reassured her.

"I mean this game you're playing with everyone. Some of those people seemed to be taking you seriously." Kurenai scolded.

"I wouldn't worry about that either. I mean really, like I have time to devote to a relationship. Besides, I have old wounds that still haven't healed that would get in the way of anything like that." The legendary healer replied sourly.

"I know; that's why I was warning you to be careful." The mysterious genjutsu user remarked. "Some pains don't heal on their own, as a medic-nin you already know this."

With that, Kurenai faded from the room leaving Tsunade to wonder if she'd ever really been there. Snorting unpleasantly, Tsunade got up to head back to her office.

* * *

Shizune was starting to leave when Tsunade finally returned. "Hokage-sama!" 

"Please, Shizune. I've just spent the day arguing with elders, clan heads, and jounin who think I'm twelve all over again. I'm having a drink and then I'm taking a nap." Tsunade said as she walked over to her desk to retrieve her sake bottle. She rustled around for a moment before she looked up.

"Where did you hide it this time?" Tsunade demanded.

Mollified, Shizune pointed to the bookcase where the Hokage pulled out the bottle from behind a few books. Shizune hated to see her drink, but after such a long hard day she supposed it couldn't be helped.

Shizune watched as Tsunade pulled the cork and stood there looking at the bottle.

"Is something wrong, Tsunade-sama?" The young woman asked slowly.

"I have lost many things in my life…" Tsunade whispered, barely audible to Shizune's ears. "On second thought, I think I'm only going to have some tea. Have Sakura bring me up some tea. I think it will help me sleep."

Shizune stood there stunned as her mistress walked from the room after putting the sake bottle back on the desk. She never looked sad, but the melancholy in her voice told her exactly who she'd been thinking of. For her to turn down sake at a time like this…

Shizune suddenly dashed to the window and threw it open. "SHE'S DRINKING TEA!!!"

Panting, Shizune looked up into the startled face of Jiraiya. His hair was blown out behind him from the force of her yell and the old man was clutching his ears.

"I know I heard!" The old lecher complained. "And it'll probably be the last thing I hear too."

"Oh, I'm sorry Jiraiya-sama, I was just shocked and surprised is all." Shizune replied in embarrassment.

"What was that about socks?" Jiraiya said rubbing a finger in one of his ears.

"Tsunade-sama didn't go drinking, isn't it wonderful! She's drinking tea like Iroh-san." The assistant beamed.

"Likes who?" Jiraiya said in shock, still holding his ears.

"Tsunade-sama is finally getting on with her life!" Shizune continued to chatter. "I just love it!"

"Getting on with her life… love?" Jiraiya asked in confusion, squinting at her as he tried to decipher what she was saying.

"I better go get some tea! Iroh-san is always talking about Jasmine. I think I'll go get some of that." Shizune said darting out the door.

* * *

Jiraiya sat on the side of the building and massaged his aching ears. Shizune had a voice like a sonic cannon when she put her mind to it. Still dazed, he tried to think clearly. Tsunade apparently liked Iroh. Tsunade was getting on with her life, maybe even falling in love. And what was Shizune saying about socks and her prize? 

Jiraiya shook his head sadly. Having a couple of shots before coming to see if Tsunade wanted to join him after her meeting was looking like a mistake after all. Jiraiya got up and wandered towards Kakashi's place. One thing was certain, Iroh had to go.

* * *

Aang looked back at the crowd of village girls walking behind him. "I hope that finding an air nomad girl that will like me is this easy." 

Katara looked over at her friend and smiled. "Don't worry Aang, not all girls fawn over pretty boys. A lot of girls find powerful men attractive, and not just their strength. Most of those girls have either seen or heard of your abilities and find it attractive."

"So is that why YOUR pulse quickens whenever he starts bending?" Toph asked smartly.

Katara stood there stunned for a moment trying to think of something to say as she was sure her face had started reddening. "Well, usually our lives are in danger when he starts using his full power." Katara said uncomfortably.

Aang was looking at her with stars in his eyes again. Then he seemed to get a little melancholy. "I guess, but I wish people would see me as more than just the Avatar. I'm more than just a powerful set of bending genes."

"Yeah, just like girls don't like being seen as nothing but a nice set of... teeth." Sokka said quailing before the baleful stares from Toph and Katara. Aang chuckled at his friend's discomfort, but Toph still had a little venom to loose on the Avatar.

"What are you laughing for? Your heart skips a beat every time Katara bends over." Toph reported maliciously. This time, Sokka was the one rolling on the ground while Aang turned three different shades of red, arrows included. Katara couldn't help but smile and blush a little.

Katara's blush died quickly as Zuko approached the four of them. Apparently, he'd finally awoken from the involuntary 'nap' he'd been given earlier.

"I see you're finally up." Aang said sheepishly.

"Yeah." Zuko said rubbing the back of his sore head. "Does anyone know why girls keep following me around?"

"Not really." _Aside from the obviously muscular rear end that is._ Katara thought to herself privately.

"I hope uncle didn't let slip that I was a prince. I get enough of that back home." Zuko groused.

"Don't worry, once they get to know you I'm sure they'll all go back to avoiding you like the rest of us do." Toph reassured him.

"Yeah, I hope… Hey!" The scarred fire prince flared at the young earthbender.

Katara laughed. 'Muscular Rear End' pretty much summed up Zuko's personality, or lack thereof, too.

"So how'd you find us?" Sokka asked looking back the way he'd come. "We're nowhere near the apartments."

"Some pink haired girl that's a friend of Naruto's said you'd be out this way, said you'd gone to eat barbecue or something." Zuko griped.

"Oh, that was me. Aang, Katara, and Toph all went for ramen again." The Water Tribesman replied.

"What's got you in such a foul mood?" Toph asked the prince.

"Well, Naruto called me something and I'm not sure how to take it." Zuko said uncertainly.

"I'm certain he didn't mean anything by it. Naruto seems pretty quick to speak without thinking." Katara said thinking. "What did he call you?"

"Well, after his pink haired friend left, he looked at me in disgust and called me a super-emo, Sasuke substitute." Zuko confided. "Does that mean anything to the rest of you?"

"Not a clue." Sokka remarked.

"What else is usual?" Toph said rolling her eyes. "Let's get back to the apartment, the tide's coming in on the sea of raging hormones and I want to get to higher ground."

Everyone followed the young girl back, who seemed to know where she was headed. It was then that they ran into the procession. Katara looked up into eyes as white as Toph's. The older man looked down at the five of them and then settled his gaze on Toph.

"You five are the visitors I assume?" The gentleman said shortly.

"Thankfully" Toph shot back smartly.

"I see." He said looking down at the girl. "Allow me to welcome you to Konoha. I am Hyuuga Hiashi. My daughter and nephew have been assigned to show you around." He said nodding to the pair standing close by. "Do you require anything; food, supplies… shoes?"

Katara followed his disapproving stare down to Toph who was standing in front of him defiantly. "Toph doesn't wear shoes."

"I see." Hiashi replied neutrally.

"Least that makes one of us." Toph shot back before clearing a path for them all to walk back to the apartment. Everyone in the street, Hiashi included, found themselves moved aside three feet as Toph continued walking.

"How?!!" Hiashi sputtered.

"Toph's element is Earth. Please excuse her; she tends to be a little short with people." Katara tried to explain. The last thing they needed was Toph angering the entire village.

"Short, period actually." Zuko said before a rock sent him to his second nap for the day.

"But how can she see to…" The older man asked.

"She doesn't, her sense of touch is elevated to the point where she doesn't need sight. She can feel vibrations through the ground and can use her hearing to pinpoint where people are. She's the most powerful earthbender alive." Sokka explained.

"Hello! I'm still standing right here!" Toph said caustically. "I'm blind, not deaf. Besides, it's the most powerful earthbender that's EVER LIVED, and don't you forget it."

"Interesting." Hiashi said as he studied the girl. He then turned to his two family members. "Hinata, Neji, please come see me after you're done today. I have something I need to discuss with you."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's the latest installment of my Naruto/ATLA crossover project. I hope you like it. As usual, I love both, own neither, and live one day at a time.**

**Chapter 5.**

Neji walked through the Hyuuga compound next to his cousin and wondered how much worse his day could be going. After briefly guiding the foreigners back to Naruto's apartment building, he and Hinata had spent the day watching the building from outside and wondering where he'd gone wrong in life. The life of a shinobi could be boring at times too. If he got sent on one more remote stake out, he was going to scream. It was at times like this he missed the company of the combat oriented pair, Gai and Lee. Not that he'd ever admit it to them though.

"You're certain of this?" Hiashi was saying as he and Hinata approached him in the garden.

The servant nodded briefly before being dismissed by the house patriarch. Hiashi looked as if a great deal was rattling around in his mind. It took several minutes before he seemed to notice Hinata and himself standing by, then it took him several more minutes before he spoke as he stared at the two of them.

"I have been studying some of the family records." Hiashi announced quietly.

"I see. You wished to see us?" Neji asked quietly.

"It was the reason I wanted to see you actually. I was looking up some information from the family archives about 'benders'. It seems this isn't the first time we've been visited by these 'benders'." Hiashi noted as he looked over some of the scrolls and books he had arranged around him.

"Is there danger?" Neji asked in his normal dispassionate sounding voice that hid the thin glimmer of hope he had for finally getting something other than a spy mission.

"Quite the contrary, their presence here presents us with opportunities you couldn't believe. It MUST be the reason behind Tsunade's interest in this Iroh… and his companions." Hiashi said diplomatically. Neji could tell from the twist in Hiashi's jaw that he was planning something, but _what_ was a complete mystery. "Tell me, what have the two of you learned about our guests?"

"Well apparently, they're in search of the long lost people of this 'Aang' boy and are hoping to find a wife for him." Neji reported.

"That fits the story in the archives." Hiashi said to himself. "That would make him the 'Avatar' then."

"Father?" Hinata asked timidly.

Hiashi looked up at the girl as if for the first time, weighing her with his eyes. Neji could only imagine what was running through his mind. He then seemed to shake his head as if dismissing an idea. "Nothing, please continue, who are these people exactly."

"Well, Zuko is Iroh's nephew, and like his uncle the two of them are what are called 'firebenders'. I suppose it means they're aligned with the element of fire." Neji continued.

"True, that would rule him out anyway." Hiashi continued to ponder.

"There is of course Aang, who is apparently able to 'bend' four different elements, the one who's looking for his people." Neji rambled.

"No good anyway, he's spoken for, or at least will be." Hiashi muttered darkly.

"Then there's Katara and her brother Sokka." The young Hyuuga fighter reported.

"Those two are a possibility." Hiashi said looking at his two young relatives with a calculating stare. "Though they might be hard to separate."

"Finally, there's the young girl Toph. Apparently, she's a runaway." Neji finished.

"A runaway you say?" Hiashi said with sudden interest. His gaze bored holes through Neji and made his blood run cold. "She's about the right age, no family ties, and Hinata need not be involved. She's also supposed to be the strongest 'earthbender' that's ever lived."

"Uncle?" Neji said with rising alarm.

"Tell me Neji, what do you think of this Toph girl?" Hiashi said with a smile that made Neji want to turn and flee.

Neji didn't respond at first not knowing exactly what the situation was, so he tried for something noncommittal. "She's alright… I guess."

"Excellent." Hiashi said with a malicious grin. "You know Neji; you really ought to think about settling down."

"Settling down?" Neji said with a panic that for once reached his voice as it gave an uncharacteristic crack that had only previously been heard when Tenten told him about the dream she'd had concerning him and Rock Lee. He'd refused to train with Lee for a month after that.

"Yes, I'm thinking that this girl Toph would make an excellent match for you." Hiashi continued.

"Why me? I'm just in the branch house, shouldn't you be worrying about who Hinata's going to marry?" Neji cried desperately as he saw his hopes for high risk combat mission flying swiftly out the window.

"No, you're older; I'll deal with Hinata later. I'm thinking of having this girl over for dinner and I really think you should ask her." The family patriarch said looking around for his notes.

"You want all of those people to come over?" Hinata asked doubtfully.

"No, I'd rather these two get some quiet time together." Hiashi said quickly. "I'd also like to talk to her alone myself."

"Why, she seems pretty… aggressive, if you get my meaning." Neji floundered. "I really prefer quiet, shy, girls."

"Really? That's not what Tenten said." Hinata whispered to her cousin.

"Do you mind, my life is in danger here." Neji whispered back.

"I'm sure she won't kill you." Hinata murmured jovially. "Bite, maybe, but she definitely won't kill you."

"I'm talking about my life as a ninja if you don't mind." The older cousin griped.

"Focus, you two." Hiashi scolded. "You two can conspire amongst yourselves later. Right now, I need to figure out a way to get this girl Toph here to the compound with as few of her friends around as possible.

"I doubt she'd come alone, especially if she knew it was going to be a date with Neji." Hinata said thoughtfully.

"It is NOT a date." Neji insisted vehemently. "And what are you getting at; lots of girls would like to date me."

"Maybe if they had a thing for sushi." Hinata quipped.

Neji stood there wondering what sushi had to do with anything until the comparison to 'cold dead fish' registered. "At least I don't pass out every time I see a girl."

"I said FOCUS you two. Now, Hinata is correct I doubt she'd come alone, so is there some way she might come with someone else, preferably not among her traveling companions?" Hiashi pressed.

"The only person she knows in the entire village is Naruto." Neji pointed out. Hopefully, that would kill any hope of…

"Excellent, then all we have to do is get Naruto to the compound with her in tow." Hiashi said seriously.

Dang.

Neji felt the burden of his seal more now than any other time, here he was condemned to do the bidding of the main house even though it meant getting treated like a prize bull being put out to stud for the sake of the clan. Hiashi wouldn't even _dream_ of doing something like this to his precious…

A sudden sadistic though crossed Neji's mind that he quickly quelled as far too cruel, but it continued to fester in the back of his mind until it burst free of his mind and found its way to his lips. If there was one thing that Naruto could be counted on for, it was his propensity for disaster, and right now he needed a disaster to end all disasters. "You know, I have and idea uncle." Neji said calmly.

"Oh, how wonderful, how do you propose we get Toph here?" Hiashi asked.

"Well, what if Toph came here thinking she was a chaperone instead of a guest?" Neji asked smugly. He'd kill any idea of romance from ever being discussed in this family again.

"I don't follow you." Hiashi concluded.

"If Toph comes along with Naruto as a chaperone, I could meet her here when she arrives." Neji said happily.

"Neji…" Hiashi said slowly. "No your own preferences are your business, but please think of the reputation of the clan…"

"I'M NOT INTERESTED IN NARUTO!" Neji screamed. "I _mean_, why don't you have _Hinata_ ask Naruto over for dinner or out on a date or something. Then Toph can come along as a chaperone." Neji congratulated himself on outmaneuvering his uncle, there was absolutely no way…

"That's an excellent idea Neji. Hinata can then distract Naruto while you get in close to Toph and make your move." Hiashi beamed.

Dang.

Neji looked up at his uncle in dispassionate melancholy at his failed attempt at remaining single. He was going to get forced into wooing this girl, she was going to fall for him, naturally, and he was going to spend the rest of his life siring offspring for the glory of the clan. Still, if Naruto had anything to do with this fiasco it was bound to end in disaster and ruin. Neji just hated putting all his hopes on Naruto.

Neji looked over to find Hinata already passed out in the garden. Yeah, this was going to work out alright after all. If it was one thing that Neji could count on Naruto to do, it was to mess things up over and beyond all things imaginable.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. Your father _wants_ you to date Naruto?" Tenten said dubiously.

It was the secret gathering place in the Village Hidden in the Leaves that no one had ever been to… if they were male. Kunoichi needed a place to get away from it all just like anyone else that risked their lives on a regular basis, and the little café in the flower shop basement had been the secret lair of the village's kunoichi for generations. Ino's father didn't even know it existed.

Hinata nodded as she sipped the tea offered by her older friend. Here, the women of the village dropped the pretenses of being separated by rank and let themselves enjoy one another's company in peace. Even Tsunade was referred to by name only when she came in. Sakura sat back listening as well alongside Ino.

"What am I going to do?" Hinata groaned. "I'll never be able to ask out Naruto-kun."

"Can you say 'Ramen at my house'?" Ino asked grinning. "He'll be pulling you along behind him as fast as Rock Lee with too much caffeine."

"I'd faint first." Hinata moaned.

"And your father is trying to hook up Neji with this girl Toph?" Sakura continued.

"Yes, this date was actually Neji's idea." Hinata said sadly.

Sakura nodded slowly as Ino threw her arm around the quiet girl. "Don't worry Hinata, working in a flower shop you grow up learning all about relationships. I'll help you ask Naruto out, and I'll make sure you get Toph there for Neji too."

Hinata looked over at Ino and smiled as the confident girl pulled her up and headed for the door. The two were quickly off on the way to their mission.

"I suppose I better go along and make sure Naruto doesn't make a mess of things." Sakura said getting up.

"Are you sure?" Tenten asked seriously.

"Of course, he'll screw things up so bad he'll get himself killed by the Hyuuga clan." Sakura said with a chuckle. "I better watch out for him like I always do."

"I mean, are you sure you want this date to succeed." Tenten said pointedly.

Sakura stopped in her tracks as the older girl looked at her over her cup of tea. "What do you mean?"

"You're pretty close to Naruto aren't you?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"What if things go well for the two of them? I mean, _really_ well." Tenten pressed.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then I would of course have to break things up for their own good. The last thing Hinata needs…" Sakura started.

"I think Hinata's old enough to know what Hinata wants and needs. I'm saying that you basically intend to go and sabotage this date of theirs because you care for Naruto." Tenten accused.

"What about you? You like Neji." Sakura countered.

"You're right, I do. I'm going to kill him if he's serious about this. I just want to make sure that we're on the same page when we go spying. So, you going to help me, or are you just going to stand there?" Tenten said finishing her tea.

Sakura stood there for a moment. Agreeing to help did not necessarily mean she had a thing for Naruto after all these years, even if she_ had_ been enjoying his company more of late with Sasuke gone. "I'm in."

* * *

As the last two girls left, the occupants of the corner booth were just getting their tea. Shizune sipped at the fragrant concoction appreciatively. "It sounds like things are going to get fun tonight."

"Yep." Tsunade said quietly looking in her tea cup.

"Naruto generally messes things up pretty badly on his own, with Sakura and Tenten trying to sabotage things as well, it could get pretty messy." Shizune continued.

"Yep." Tsunade agreed downing the last of her tea like it was a shot of whiskey.

"We're going too aren't we?" Shizuna asked flatly as more of a statement than a question.

"Yep." Tsunade said getting up. Things were about to get fun around the Hyuuga compound.

* * *

Naruto sat there wondering what to do. Normally, this wasn't much of a problem. His normal list of options; hide, attack, eat, sleep, and talk incessantly seemed to somehow be completely inadequate for dealing with the situation at hand. Naruto looked at the letter in his hands and sighed. Ino had dropped by to deliver the pink rose-scented thing and at first Naruto had thought it was from her. Hinata wanted to invite him to dinner at the Hyuuga compound. The offer of free ramen was normally something that he wouldn't hesitate to jump at, but this was just… sudden.

Naruto turned the letter over in his hands. Hinata's father had insisted that Naruto bring a chaperone since he didn't really trust him. Ino had told Naruto that Hinata really wanted to see him and that she recommended Toph to be the chaperone.

Naruto turned over everything that he'd ever known about Hinata over in his mind. She'd always been so weird that he would have never thought that she liked him. Heck, she'd even head butted him once when he got too close. Naruto highly suspected that this was some sort of prank being pulled on him by Ino. Yeah, the hand writing LOOKED like Hinata's but that still didn't mean that she couldn't have forged it. He doubted seriously that Hinata was in on any sort of prank, but Sakura was an entirely different matter.

Naruto sighed again. He needed to ask a girl if this was going to be a legitimate opportunity at free ramen, or something far more sinister. Naruto stood up and walked over to his new neighbors. He quietly knocked before a chorus of voices invited him in.

Inside, Toph was reclining on the couch while Sokka and Zuko sat nearby sharpening their weapons. Aang was meditating while hovering a few feet off the floor, and Katara was sewing. "Hey, Naruto, come in. I was just about to fix dinner."

"Thanks Katara, but what I really need is some advice." Naruto said glumly.

"Aim high." Sokka advised sagely.

"Kick low." Zuko stated.

"Pretend to care." Toph said with disinterest.

"Alright everyone, please." Katara scolded the group. "I'm afraid Iroh isn't here right now…"

"No, I need some advice from a girl." Naruto said sadly. "It's about this."

"It looks like a love letter." Katara said looking at the perfumed envelope.

"It smells like a love letter." Toph agreed.

"It's a trap." Sokka concluded.

"SOKKA!" Katara shouted at her brother, appalled. "Why would you think that a love letter is a trap?"

"When girls are involved, it's a trap… period." Sokka replied haughtily.

"You smack him Katara, I'm tired." Toph told the older girl.

"Actually, that's what I'm worried about. I've never noticed that this girl liked me before, and I'm worried that it might be a prank from some girls I know." Naruto explained.

"See, told you… trap." Sokka said as he went back to work.

"It _is_ a little cliché." Toph conceded as she sniffed the envelope. "Smells like roses."

"What I want to know is, should I go along with this, or should I just ignore it?" Naruto asked. "I mean, free food is hard to pass up."

"You have a point there, some traps need to be sprung because the bait is worth it." Sokka said as he contemplated the edge of his sword.

"It happens sometimes in battle too." Zuko agreed.

"What does fighting have to do with girls and relationships?" Katara asked dangerously.

The peasant and the prince merely glanced at the young woman with arched eyebrows before exchanging significant glances with each other and going back to sharpening their weapons.

"Aren't you two going to answer me?" Katara demanded.

"Nope." The prince replied.

"Why not?"

"'Cause then we won't get supper." Her brother stated simply.

"They got you there." Toph nodded approvingly.

"Sometimes it's wiser to retreat." Sokka mumbled.

"Anyway, I don't know if Ino was lying or not about this whole affair." Naruto said sadly.

"Why don't you go talk with her Toph? You're able to tell if someone is lying or not." Katara said seriously.

"Yeah!" Naruto blurted quickly. "Ino also said something about having to bring along a chaperone and recommended Toph."

"Forget…"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Katara said breaking in on the blind girl.

Toph sighed and hopped to her feet grudgingly. "Fine, I'll go. So, what makes you think that this girl didn't really send the letter?"

"Well, Hinata hasn't ever said anything about liking me. I mean we know each other from the academy, but I've only gone on a few missions with her. Being invited to her house is a little bit sudden." Naruto explained.

"Well, how does she act around you?"

"Typically, she gets all timid and then faints,"

Toph looked at him for a long time, or rather held her head in his direction for a long time, before finally speaking. "You sure she's not terrified of you?"

Naruto stopped to think about it for a moment. That would be just like Ino, sending Naruto over to terrorize a young girl that was afraid of him. But, why would Hinata be terrified of him? Unless… Naruto's head whipped up at the realization that Hinata might have found out about the Kyuubi, and that she would then be almost certain to be scared of him.

Disgust washed over Naruto, and he started to call it all off, but something stopped him. Hinata had been kind and supportive of him in the past, so obviously she didn't hate him. If she did know about the Kyuubi, it could be that for once someone was looking past the demon inside him even when it frightened them. Strengthening his resolve, Naruto reached a decision.

"You know Toph, she might be at that. But tonight, I am going to do everything in my power to be nice to Hinata and make it a wonderful evening so she won't be anymore." Naruto said with conviction. "Be…"

"But what if it's just a prank by this other girl?" Sokka asked.

"Then I'll ask Hinata to go eat ramen with me." Naruto said clenching his fist. "Be…"

"But what if she isn't afraid of you, but you're still invited. Do you think that there might be some sort of other motive behind them inviting you? From the sound of this letter, it almost looks like this is her father's idea." Katara said reading the love letter.

Now Naruto _knew_ Hiashi knew about the Kyuubi, so if he was being invited to the Hyuuga compound it could be for some sort of ulterior motive, and would involve Hinata in it too, even if she was terrified. "Then I'll find out what it is." Naruto stated grimly. "Be…"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but come on, let's get going. If there's free food involved, I guess I can help you out that much at least." Toph grumpily stated. "Let's go get ready for your date."

**A/N: And there you have it. Sorry much isn't happening yet, but next chapter promises to be interesting.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, here's my monthly update. I had hoped for it to be funnier, but oh well, it seems like people tend to like the stuff I think is only mildly humorous. Hopefully, I'll be able to commit more time to this work now that my other stories are completed, but you never know, we'll have to see.**

**Chapter 6.**

Hiashi paced impatiently waiting for his guests to arrive. He checked over the preparations one last time. Hinata was prepared to receive his unwitting accomplice wearing a simple kimono of blue and purple silk, and Neji was dressed to kill in a stunning kamishimo that would have impressed even the most regal of visitors with the Hyuuga family crest on the montsuki. The meal, while common fare, had been prepared by the most skilled cooks in his household with the finest ingredients money could buy.

When a servant finally showed the two guests in, Hiashi couldn't help but gape. Naruto was arrayed in a deep red garment with golden trim along the hems that screamed 'royalty'. Considering the boy's status as a pauper, Hiashi could only guess that he had borrowed the outfit from somewhere. _Where_ was another matter entirely since only the son of a Hokage would have such clothing.

Hiashi quickly dismissed him from his thoughts though as he studied the girl on his arm. Toph Beifong glided into the room smoothly and with the practiced grace of a young woman accustomed to the life of a noblewoman. To say the least, Hiashi was pleased. Her silk gown she wore was obviously custom made to fit her, and it made her radiant. The head of the Hyuuga clan allowed himself a grin of satisfaction at his choice of mate for his nephew.

"Welcome to the compound of the Hyuuga family, friends and honored guests. Dinner will be ready in just a moment, is there anything that you might wish?" Hiashi said amiably.

"Yeah, where's the bathroom?" Naruto spouted rudely before a swift stomp from his female companion's bare foot caused a quick yelp.

"Just down the hall." Hiashi pointed sending the blonde nuisance out of his presence.

"Here, Neji, why don't you escort Mistress Toph to the dining area? Hinata and I will stay and bring Naruto when he is finished." Hiashi offered, trying to give Neji as much of a chance alone with the girl as possible.

"Actually, I was hoping to get the chance to talk to Hinata without Naruto being around to spout off like he normally does. We girls seldom get a chance to mingle and get to know each other personally at these types of functions." Toph said politely, as she swept over to wrap her arms around Hinata's in the absence of her friend.

"Very well." The elder Hyuuga conceded. After all, the night was young. The three of you go on ahead, and I will await Naruto.

The three young people headed off into the house as Hiashi looked after them. With the object of his planning removed form the room he allowed his face to relax into a comfortable scowl. Maybe he could convince the girl that Naruto went home sick.

"I'm glad to see we're alone now." Naruto said behind him.

Hiashi turned to stare at the vessel for the Kyuubi with open distaste. "Ah, I see, so is there anything _else_ I can get for you?"

The elder Hyuuga was amazed and slightly annoyed to find the boy looking back at him defiantly. "Yeah, you can start by telling me why I'm really here."

The brief moment of shock quickly disappeared from Hiashi's face with practiced calculation. Perhaps Naruto wasn't the clueless oaf that he'd always assumed. If he knew what he was planning with this Toph girl…

"I'm not quite certain I understand what you mean." Hiashi said with a level tone.

"While Hinata is a nice girl, she has never struck me as the type that would up and invite me to dinner with her family out of the blue. When I first got her invitation, I thought it must have been a joke. After all, I'm pretty certain she's terrified of me. That makes me think that there must be some other reason that Toph and I are here." Naruto said pointedly.

Hiashi paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. He hadn't counted on the Uzumaki boy being so perceptive. If he found out that Hiashi's true target was Toph, he might try to complicate matters.

"I assure you, young Uzumaki, that it was not my idea to bring you here. However, if I might ask, if you did think that something was amiss why did you agree to come? Free ramen?" The patriarch added with a hint of insult.

"I don't want Hinata to fear me or hate me. If she is terrified of me, I want to show her that I can be just a normal person like everyone else. You know what I have inside of me. If she's found out, and that's the reason she fears me, I want to know. If it means playing your game to do it, then I will." The young man said resolutely, never removing his stare from Hiashi's eyes.

Hiashi's mind scrambled. Could Hinata have found out about the Kyuubi? They'd all been ordered by the Third never to mention it to the children. But if she had somehow found out on her own that was a different matter entirely. It would definitely explain the fainting, and the apprehension before any missions that involved the boy. He'd heard rumors that she had a crush on him, but this seemed far more likely. It actually helped put his mind at ease.

"Well then, young Naruto, I suggest you spend the evening alone with her to find out. I'll have Neji keep young Miss Toph entertained and you can speak to Hinata at length about it. I can assure you that she has been looking forward to your visit." _She must be terrified out of her wits. She's been spastic ever since the invitation was sent. Poor girl, I'm going to have to make this up to her later._ Hiashi thought happily. "If you will follow me?"

Hiashi led Naruto into the room where Toph was laughing pleasantly at something Hinata was likewise giggling about. Neji looked like a lump on a log. Seeing Hinata suddenly jerk into a tense silence as the boy entered the room, reassured Hiashi that what Naruto had noticed was most likely true. There was more to this boy's cunning than met the eye. "Hinata, do you have a moment, one of the servants had a question for you?"

Hinata politely excused herself and the father of the reluctant debutante pulled her toward the deepest parts of the house to keep anyone from overhearing. "Hinata, this is not going well."

"Father?" The girl asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry to have to ask this of you my child, because I know how afraid you must be, but I think you need to confess your love to Naruto tonight!" Hiashi said vehemently. Right now all his best laid plans revolved around his oldest daughter conquering her fear of the Kyuubi and putting on a first class acting performance.

"WHAT?!" Hinata nearly shrieked, the unmistakable look of stark raving terror flashing across her face.

"I know you're afraid child. I don't care what you have to do, bring him his food, confess to him, even KISS him if you have to, but Naruto has got to be convinced that the reason he's here is because you feel for him, understand?" The desperate Hyuuga said holding his daughters shoulders. If Naruto discovered that the real reason he was here was so that Neji could court Toph, he might storm out and they'd lose their only link to the girl.

His only answer was a weak nod from his eldest offspring. He nodded in return and turned to head back to his guests. "Go meet the servants with the food. I want you to bring Naruto's food to him personally. We'll be waiting."

Hiashi straightened his hakama and headed back to the room with Toph and Naruto. He wasn't looking behind him as he walked, confident that his daughter would conquer her fear and accomplish this mission for him. She could always break it off with Naruto later after Neji and Toph were quite well on their way toward a relationship. If he had been looking back, he would have seen the trickle of blood from his daughter's nose as her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out dead away on the floor.

* * *

Naruto sat alone with Toph. Neji had excused himself after his uncle and cousin had left and now Naruto sat with his arms crossed wondering what kind of prank someone must be pulling on him to have Hiashi involved.

"You managed to touch her?" Naruto asked quietly. There was no telling where Ino or maybe even Tenten might be hiding if this were a prank.

"Yes." Toph said sipping her tea. "Every time you get near her, her heartbeat nearly doubles. Whatever she's feeling, it's intense."

"I… have that effect on people." Naruto said sadly. "Toph, can you do me a favor?"

"Another one?" The girl whined. "Isn't it enough that I'm here and that I swiped Zuko's clothes for you to wear?"

"Can you keep Neji busy? Whatever might be going on, I'm just about certain that the Hyuuga family isn't going to let me anywhere near Hinata without being monitored. That's probably Neji's job. Can you please keep him out of my hair when I try to talk to Hinata?" Naruto pleaded.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Toph asked caustically.

"I don't know; pretend you like him, maybe you can keep him distracted long enough for me to get a chance to talk to Hinata." Naruto continued.

Toph merely rolled her eyes and sighed. "Alright, but you owe me for this big time."

Naruto thanked his new friend and settled in as the Hyuuga family returned. Neji made it back just ahead of his uncle, and a short while later, Hinata returned with servants carrying food.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain as Hinata knelt in front of him and began serving the food to him. He risked a glance at Hiashi to find him beaming with approval at his oldest daughter. Naruto could smell the ramen and it almost made his head spin except that Hinata's ands were trembling as she set the bowls in front of him.

Gently, Naruto reached out and placed his hands over Hinata's to steady them. "Careful, I wouldn't want you to burn your hands." Naruto said considerately.

Hinata quickly averted her gaze to keep from looking him in the face. It made a lump swell up in his throat.

"Well, let's eat." Hiashi intoned.

Hinata took a seat next to Naruto and he kept casting sidelong glances at her. She never looked at him, which made him uneasy, but still they had the night ahead of them and if Toph could help him, he might just be able to make her like him.

* * *

_My GOD he looks hot in those clothes!_ Hinata's mind screamed at her. She lowered her head so that her bangs would hide the veins bulging around her eyes as she used her Byakugan to drinking in the handsome appearance of her crush. _Father actually WANTS me to confess to Naruto?_

The sudden shift in the Hyuuga family policy towards Naruto had Hinata reeling. Her father had always looked at Naruto in cold disdain, now he was telling her that he wanted her to _confess_ to him?

Cold logic escaped the girls frantic mind as to why everything she's every wanted was suddenly being thrust at her like kunai after hearing the innocuously placed tripwire go 'snap'. Could her father really be more knowledgeable of her life than she had imagined. Could he have really gone along with this plan of Neji's thinking that perhaps Hinata might get closer to Naruto?

Hinata rubbed her hands at the memory of the feel of Naruto's hands over her own. His face had practically glittered as he had spoken to her softly, and her father had looked PLEASED!

The idea of her father's support and blessing made Hinata's head swim. This was going to be the night. She was going to kiss Naruto, or she was going to die from a nasal hemorrhage to end all nasal hemorrhages.

* * *

The ninja crept quietly through the garden. He was here on a mission. It was a special S rank mission that had brought him to the Hyuuga compound ever since he's heard they were having Uzumaki Naruto over for dinner.

The expansive garden of the Hyuuga compound was lush, with the smells of dozens of different flowers blowing gently through the air. The garden path circled a large pond nearly the size of a small lake, where a small boat could be found for rowing out to fish or to spend some quiet time with a young lady away from the prying ears of servant. A brief rustle of the leaves as if stirred by the wind was the only indication of the arrival of other ninja.

"Careful, Sakura!" A young woman scolded. "We don't want anyone to know we're here."

"Easier said than done, Tenten; if the Hyuuga use their Byakugan they'll see us for sure and that Toph girl can feel vibrations with her feet!" Sakura shot back.

"That just means that it's that much more important for us to stay still and quiet Sakura. Don't worry I've done this before." Tenten reassured her.

"When?" The pink haired kunoichi asked seriously.

"Whenever I spy on Neji while he's bathing." Tenten confided.

"I'm ashamed of you two." A male voice replied.

"Who's there?" Tenten and Sakura whispered in apprehension.

"It's me, Iruka-sensei. I'm ashamed of you two. I taught you both stealth expecting you to use it for the greater good of the village; not as some sort of means toward spying on boys in the nude." The ninja instructor reprimanded.

"Sorry sensei." The two replied in unison. Several minutes passed as the no one said a word. Finally, it was Sakura that broke the silence.

"Um, sensei? Why are _you_ here?" The girl asked innocently.

"I heard Naruto had a date and I wanted to see how things were going for him." Iruka confessed. "Naruto's always been like a little brother to me."

"Aw, that's sweet." Tenten said from her hiding spot.

"Will you three PLEASE shut up?!" Someone else piped in. "You're supposed to be _shinobi_!"

"Master?" Sakura said fearfully at hearing the familiar voice.

"Tsunade-sama!" Iruka said standing at attention.

"Tsunade?!" Jiraiya said standing as well, looking over at an innocuous looking tree.

"Jiraiya?!" Tsunade said poking her head out of the tree. "What are you doing here?"

"Research." Jiraiya said shrugging. "Iruka isn't the only one that wants to see Naruto become a man."

"That is _not_ why I'm here." Iruka said indignantly. "I'm here because I'm concerned about Naruto. You're only here because you want to SEE Naruto become a man."

"Like I said… research." Jiraiya said holding up one of his perverted books.

"Tsunade-sama can we leave now?" Someone else said.

"Shut up Shizune." Tsunade scolded.

"Just exactly how many of us _are_ here?" Kakashi said poking his head out of the ground.

"Ino here!" Ino said from her hiding place.

"Could you people _please_ keep it down?! They'll be here any minute." Tsunade managed to whisper with the general effect of a yell.

A brief rustle of the leaves as if stirred by the wind was the only indication of the other ninja ducking back into their positions. All was quiet in the garden for several moments.

"Nine, by the way." Jiraiya said from his hiding place.

"What?" Tsunade answered from somewhere in the trees.

"There are nine of us here." Jiraiya explained. "Kakashi asked how many of us there were."

"No there isn't, there's only eight." Tsunade argued back. "Kakashi, Sakura, Tenten, Ino, Iruka, Shizune, me, and you, makes eight."

"You forgot the sound ninja assassin. He crept in after I did and started hiding over there by the wall. He's been doing a pretty good job of it so far I might add." Jiraiya explained.

"Well of _course_ he's here. I thought you were just talking about _us_." Tsunade griped.

"I wonder what he's doing here." Sakura wondered naively. "Shouldn't somebody ask him?"

"No need." Akinori said standing up. He stepped from the bushes and started walking towards the rope ladder he'd strung over the wall for his escape. Orochimaru had wanted the Uzumaki boy killed with the promise of anyone succeeding in the task becoming one of his 'special favorites'. This however was too much. "I'll just show myself out. I didn't think there'd be so many witnesses on what was supposed to be a 'private' outing."

"How rude." Tsunade sniffed.

"I feel sorry for Orochimaru." Jiraiya agreed. "It's so hard to find young people willing to see these things through to the end anymore."

**A/N: Here's to the chaos of chapter 7...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello everyone, sorry for taking so long with this chapter. It was a bugger to write. Hope you all enjoy it, I never quite know how my humor will be received. I don't own Naruto or Avatar, but when Jiraiya's next book comes out I'm looking to reserve a copy.**

**Chapter 7.**

"I'll just leave you kids to get better acquainted." Hiashi said politely as he shut the door to the garden.

"Why are there so many people around here if this is supposed to be a private garden?" Toph asked 'looking' around the garden.

"Servants are always around in case they're needed." Neji said brusquely. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"What's that one doing climbing over that rope ladder?" Naruto added pointing at the disappearing figure.

"He's probably slipping out for the night. Some of the servants try to slip away while they're supposed to be on the job. I'll go tell…" Neji said as he turned to make a hasty exit.

"Oh don't worry about him." Toph said batting her eyelashes for good measure as she restrained Neji from leaving by wrapping her arm gently around his. "After all, the fewer interruptions we have the better." _You REALLY owe me for this one Naruto._

The gulp from Neji and the quickening of his heartbeat made Toph want to giggle. This was going to be too easy. "Could you walk me through the garden? I can't really see where I'm going after all."

"I thought you were able to oof…" the Hyuuga prodigy started as a quick poke found it's way to his ribs.

"Neji, don't be rude." Hinata scolded her cousin.

"Yes, my apologies, would you like to come with me Mistress Toph?" Neji said reluctantly.

Toph beamed at him and then fell into step beside him. _Let the games begin… _

Naruto watched the two go and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he was alone with Hinata. The poor girl looked ready to pass out. "Um, would you like to go down to the boat dock?"

"Uh, sure." Hinata replied quietly as Naruto gingerly offered her his arm before leading her down to the small pier.

"It, uh sure is a lovely night." Naruto said pleasantly as he watched Toph steer Neji toward some secluded trees to keep him out of direct sight of the pair of them. Hopefully she could keep him distracted enough to keep his Byakugan from coming into play.

"Yes, the garden is one of my favorite places to be." Hinata confided as the two of them walked out onto the short dock.

Naruto glanced over to see Hinata's silhouette in the moonlight. A faint memory stirred in the back of his mind, until it was erased by a figure he recognized. It was just for a moment, but he though he saw Ino slip into deeper cover to keep Toph and Neji from stumbling over her.

_So, this IS some sort of practical joke._ Naruto thought angrily. He'd never expected Hinata to go along with something like this. "So, did Ino put you up to this?"

"Oh no, she just helped me write the letter." Hinata assured him.

"So this was _your_ idea?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"Actually it was Neji's idea. He was the one that had the idea for me to invite you here tonight." The mousy young girl said sheepishly as she looked out at the full moon hanging up in the sky.

_NEJI!_ Naruto's mind screamed. _He still hasn't gotten over being beaten by me during the chuunin exams I bet. He probably set up Hinata with Ino as his accomplice. I'm going to get those two._ "Oh, I'm sorry he dragged you into it then."

"I wanted to get dragged into it!" Hinata blurted, as Naruto considered the suspicion that he was somehow going to be made fun of by his two colleagues.

"So you knew all along what Neji was planning? Why didn't you say no, or tell me up front?" Naruto asked the girl.

"Because there are things I've always wanted to say to you Naruto-kun, and by going along with his plan I'd actually have you here and be able to say them. I'd finally have the chance to face… my fears." Hinata explained desperately.

"You don't have to say anything Hinata. I know how afraid you must be." Naruto said comfortingly as he reached out to put his hands on her shoulders. "I'd like to banish your fears forever, but I don't know how."

* * *

Jiraiya listened from his vantage point a few feet away in the bushes and reached up to pull a chart down from the tree limb above him that showed several effective and somewhat erotic methods of banishing fear. He had the baton in hand and his reading glasses on when the kunai arced out from where he'd last seen Sakura and skewered his chart in mid-flight before continuing on into the darkness. _Oh, we're going to be THAT way about it are we? _

Neji walked through the garden ready to puke. This was going too well. For all his attempts at being the most boring individual in history, the girl seemed oblivious. How in the world she managed to laugh at his every comment as if it was the funniest thing ever said was beyond him. The way this girl was fawning over him, he was going to end up married before dawn.

Neji shivered at the thought and tried to figure out what he was going to do next. As if on queue, a kunai stuck into the tree next to him with a chart depicting several rather lurid suggestions. Leave it to Hiashi to anticipate everything. It was then that inspiration struck the young prodigy. Maybe if being boring didn't work he needed to try the opposite.

Neji studied the chart and grinned. He was going to get rid of this Toph girl once and for all.

"What was that?" Toph asked as she looked up at the offensive chart.

"Oh, just a flying kunai, you know, ninja village type thing." Neji replied quickly to dismiss the topic. "So, Mistress Toph, how would you like to see _my_ kunai…?"

* * *

Neji had his back to Naruto and Hinata, and of course Toph was blind so neither of them saw Tenten fly from the treetops wielding a weapon looking somewhat like a huge baseball bat with spikes. They also missed what looked like the Hokage's arm snaking out to seize the girl in mid flight as her hand covered her mouth silently cutting off a string of epithets worthy of a Nobel Prize for creative grammar. 

**A/N: The author would like to reassure all Neji Hyuuga fans (both of them), that despite Tenten's assertions to the contrary there is absolutely no indication that Neji's parents were unmarried, he still has his male genitalia (at least prior to Tenten getting her hands on him), and has never engaged in oral sex with small farm animals. We are also quite certain his mother was indeed a pleasant and quite honorable woman.**

"What was that?" Naruto said turning around to look where an airborne Tenten had disappeared from mere seconds before.

"Oh, I don't know, probably one of the servants." Hinata said dismissively. She was nervous. Here was her chance. Naruto was standing there with his hands on her shoulders, saying such lovely thing to her. She had to do it, and soon before she lost her nerve.

Looking in his face made her unsteady so Hinata gently pulled herself from him to look away. She could feel his eyes on her. She had to let him know how she felt, but her voice simply wouldn't come to her.

"Hinata, how long have you felt this way about me?" Naruto asked quietly.

Hinata's breath caught in her throat. _He knows!_ _Oh my God, HE KNOWS I love him!_ "Since the first day I saw you." She found herself saying meekly.

"Hinata, I don't know what to say to make your fears go away except to tell you that I feel the same way. I've been afraid since the day I realized what was inside me. So much, I didn't know how to put it into words." Naruto said sullenly.

Hinata had stopped breathing. He felt the same way she did, but was afraid to say anything, just like she was. Hinata considered how things must be from Naruto's perspective as a poor loner watching her from a distance as the eldest daughter of a noble house, thinking of her as unobtainable until she sent him that letter. Hinata's heart was doing back flips for joy in her chest. She was worrying about how to confess to Naruto and here he was confessing to her! The time for words was over, there was only one way she could think of to truly show Naruto the way she felt. Hinata closed her eyes and spun around…

* * *

Sakura was getting angrier by the moment as she listened to Naruto. _He never tried flirting with ME like that!_ She thought angrily. She'd known him for years listening to his rather pathetic pick up lines and stupid remarks that never seemed to do anything but make her angry and now the teenage Casanova was spouting tender words like Romeo for Hinata! 

What made her even angrier was how she knew that Naruto had been capable of this type of caring. She knew he cared for her, and had said some pretty touching things to her as well, but it was usually when she was in so much emotional pain that she was ready to break down at any minute. Why couldn't he pick a time like this for her! Granted she still had no interest in him whatsoever, but it would have been nice to turn him down gently like this than to have to endure his incessant 'Sakura-chan, will you go eat ramen with me?' demands.

Sakura had finally had enough. While Tsunade grappled with a livid and struggling Tenten, Sakura leapt from her hiding place to the boat dock behind Naruto. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Sakura landed and walloped Naruto upside the head before things could get any further out of hand. Unfortunately, in her anger she lost control of her strength and nearly cracked the boy's inordinately thick skull (her knuckles were going to be bruised in the morning) as she sent him to the ground like a sack of clueless potatoes.

Sakura got a grip on herself just in time to remember Hinata and looked up to apologize for ruining her date just as she spun around.

"Naruto-kun, I love you too!" She cried as she grabbed Sakura's shoulders and crashed her lips into the most heated (albeit only) kiss Sakura had ever known.

Sakura's eyes went wide open in shock as her Inner Sakura tried to process a million thoughts running through her mind simultaneously. Her are a few of them.

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_My God, Jiraiya's taking notes._

_That flash had better not have been from a camera Kakashi-sensei._

_I didn't know Iruka-sensei's mouth would open that far._

_I'm going to kill Naruto for this._

_Ino is never going to let me live this down._

_This is just like the time Naruto accidentally kissed Sasuke._

_Oh no, that memory is getting me excited!_

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_She's using tongue!_

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_Why won't my body move?_

_How do I get myself into these things?_

_Dear Lord, please don't let Naruto wake up right now._

_Dear Lord, PLEASE don't let Sasuke see this._

_That had REALLY better not be a video camera Kakashi-sensei!_

_Master, please don't look at me like that._

_Where did Tenten go?_

_Can't she feel that my chest isn't flat?_

_Okay, can't she feel that my chest isn't as flat as Naruto's?_

_Man, I'm jealous, those things are big!_

_I AM NOT GAY!_

After what seemed like an eternity, Hinata finally broke the kiss, leaning back as Sakura realized that she'd had her eyes closed the entire time. She also realized that her hands had found their way up onto her hips to steady the two of them and keep them from falling backwards into the river.

_I AM NOT GAY!_

"I never thought your lips would be so warm and soft Naruto-kun." Hinata said dreamily.

Sakura struggled to figure a way out of her predicament when fate mercifully threw her a bone and a massive nasal hemorrhage blasted her in the face as Hinata passed out from the emotional overload.

That, or blood loss, Sakura wasn't sure even with her medical training.

Sakura looked up to see Jiraiya drawing furiously, Kakashi slapping his forehead, Iruka staring at her slack jawed, Ino winking suggestively, Shizune clutching her mouth as she furiously tried to keep from laughing out loud, Tsunade pinching the bridge of her nose, Tenten making a bee-line for Neji with a katana, Hinata gurgling happily in her sleep, and Naruto unconscious and blissfully clueless to the entire scene.

Blood dripped from Sakura's now-red hair, as she gave up hope for salvaging her shredded dignity and sullenly headed for her house.

* * *

Shizune sighed as she sat next to Tsunade. "Can we go back to the tower now?" 

"Just a minute longer." Tsunade said anxiously.

Things had started winding down for the night. Tenten had chased Neji out of the garden and could still be heard several streets away. Neji's absolute defense power was the only thing still keeping him alive. Shizune just hoped he had more chakra than Tenten had weapons.

Sakura had walked out, drenched in blood with Ino following after. Ino said nothing, but her snicker hinted that in the coming weeks she was going to savor this moment of humiliation again and again.

Jiraiya had left shortly after that saying that he needed to get to his publishers rather quickly, while Kakashi wandered off saying something about getting his film developed. Iruka on the other hand, politely bowed and promised the Hokage a report after tracking down the assassin he'd spotted earlier.

For her part, Toph wandered over to Naruto and prodded him a little with her foot before shrugging and heading back to her apartment. To Shizune's way of thinking, things were pretty much over for the night.

Finally, Naruto came to from the concussion he'd been given by Sakura. "What happened?" Naruto said as he started to rise, but then saw Hinata lying in a pool of blood and panicked.

"Oh God, Hinata-chan, speak to me, are you alright? Please don't tell me I somehow entered the Kyuubi state and hurt you like I did Sakura!" Naruto pleaded as he knelt down beside the girl and lifted her into his arms like some sort of noble prince.

Hinata slowly came around with the first thing to see when she opened her eyes being her sweet Naruto holding her and looking into her eyes imploringly. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, did I hurt you?"

"Oh no Naruto-kun, I feel better than I ever have in my life!" Hinata said wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him close. "I must have just passed out."

"So, are you still afraid?" Naruto asked her quietly.

"Naruto-kun, with you here, I need never be afraid of anyone or anything ever again." Hinata said lovingly as she gripped him close.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune whispered, "can we go _now_? I can practically hear Choji's mother singing him a lullaby."

"Not yet." Tsunade whispered back fiercely.

Naruto hugged her back as tears of relief and joy slid down his face. "Are you sure I didn't hurt you?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto-kun that was the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced in my life." Hinata said happily. It was then that she noticed the first real test of her new found bravery.

Hiashi looked down at the two of them in horror as he spluttered, his face going crimson. "I thought I heard screaming… the most wonderful… experience… there's blood on your… Naruto, you… you… and she… NA-RU-TO!!!!!!!!"

Shizune watched as Hiashi slipped into a martial arts stance and introduced Naruto to the secret family art of enraged fathers called 'Not-So-Gentle-Fist'. Naruto sailed over the wall of the Hyuuga family compound sporting his second concussion of the night, crashing into the street… somewhere on the other side of Konoha.

"Now we can go." Tsunade said with satisfaction as she watched Hiashi storm into the house with Hinata trying desperately to placate him.

"Shouldn't we do something to help Naruto?" Shizune asked.

"You know, I think I will." Tsunade said with an evil glint in her eyes. "I think I'm going to fan the flames of this little drama and see if I can make Hiashi have a coronary. After all, messing with Hiashi is fun."

**A/N: This shout out goes to silver dragon15, Manyara, Dark Darianna Minamino, Kai Dragoon, Alchemist Astrid, dragon-game, and phantomshadowdragon, all of whom have reviewed this story. It is usually my policy to respond to every review, but I have been very busy of late and unfortunately did not reply to any of your reviews in a timely manner. You have my deepest apologies, your comments are deeply appreciated and I will attempt to better in the future.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here it is the latest installment in my Naruto/Avatar crossover. I hope everyone is well. I'm severely behind answering reviews (again), but I hope to be caught up this week. Work is SUCH a pain these days. Oh well, enough of my bellyaching, enjoy the story and I STILL don't own either of these two series...**

**Chapter 8.**

"I don't want to talk about it." Sakura said flatly as she walked next to Ino heading towards Naruto's apartment.

"You have to admit though; you'd make a cute couple." Ino replied ruthlessly as she savored her friend's humiliation.

"I want to kill something." Sakura replied dangerously. It wasn't a coincidence she was headed for Naruto's apartment. Sakura wished Ino hadn't seen anything, and wished even more that she hadn't shown up at her house the first thing that morning to walk with her to see Naruto.

"Is that why you're going to see Naruto?" Ino asked sweetly.

"No, I'm going to make absolutely certain that he saw _nothing_. And let me make it clear that if he saw _nothing_, he will know _nothing_, and he will hear _nothing_ about it. Then once I am certain that Naruto is his normal, wonderfully clueless self, I'm going to kill him." Sakura said calmly.

"Perfectly understandable." Ino said reassuringly.

"Thank you."

"After all, you have to eliminate the competition in order to really stake your claim." Ino said nodding sagely.

"There are days when I really, really hate you. You know that don't you?" The pink haired girl said to her companion.

"Thanks, I'm glad my efforts haven't gone unnoticed."

"Why are you even here?" Sakura asked darkly as she sagged in defeat and continued her somber trek towards Naruto's apartment.

"I'm delivering a message." Ino replied promptly. "Hinata wants Naruto to know she had a wonderful time and she's really sorry for what happened with her father."

"Why didn't she come herself? And what happened with her father; that was after I left." Sakura asked.

"Well it seems her father came into the garden while Naruto was putting the moves on Hinata or something. Apparently, he came to and found her unconscious and scooped her up in his arms when Hiashi walked in on them. Hinata spent all night trying to convince her dad that Naruto hadn't… well, you know…" Ino said uneasily.

Both girls gave a momentary shiver. The idea of Naruto… Sakura shivered for what she was certain were different reasons than Ino. She couldn't imagine Naruto naked… Well, she could imagine Naruto naked, (and had before strictly as a matter of training to be medical ninja; one had to have a good understanding of the human body to be a medical ninja and Naruto was her teammate so she needed an even MORE thorough understanding of his body since she might be called on to heal him and since it would have been embarrassing to make that kind of request considering how Naruto is and how he always gets the wrong impression peeking at him while he was at the hot springs was the only logical conclusion and it didn't mean that she had a thing for Naruto or that she was a pervert for watching him while he was bathing and since she needed a very good idea of what he looked like and she didn't want to have to do it ever again it was only natural that she watch him for a full hour and it was only by coincidence that she had been coming down with some sort of sinus infection that day and had gotten a nosebleed) but the idea of Naruto doing things like that with Hinata just made her… angry.

The two girls continued in blissful silence for a few more minutes before they found themselves in front of Naruto's door. Female voices reached their ears from the other side.

"I swear, the boy must have a whole harem running around I don't know about." Sakura said angrily as she barged in.

Inside, Naruto lay on the couch with his head in Katara's lap. Sakura felt her cheeks redden, but it wasn't from embarrassment. Katara was gently brushing Naruto's hair from her face as he dozed.

"Sorry, we can come back later." Ino blurted as she grabbed Sakura's arm to move her out the door. Sakura however was rooted to the spot.

"Why? It must have been important for you two to come barging in here like that." Sokka said from the other side of the room. For the first time Sakura noticed that all of Naruto's new friends were also in the room. "Are you nearly done healing Naruto, Katara? I'd really like to get some breakfast soon."

"Yes, I'm done now." Katara said moving out from under the snoozing boy. "I'll just make breakfast here since I doubt Naruto has had anything to eat since last night either."

"Good luck, I doubt Naruto has much in his cupboard other than instant ramen." Ino snorted.

"That's fine, why don't you three get going and bring back some food to cook." Katara commanded her three male companions.

"But…" Zuko started to object.

"Now." Katara ordered firmly. "The sooner you get back the sooner food will be ready to eat. I don't want to leave Naruto right now while he's recovering."

"On it." The three chorused in boredom as they filed out of the room.

"Great, now at least three nuisances are gone." Toph said as she leaned back into the chair Aang had vacated.

"What are all of you doing over here?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"We heard Naruto had been hurt from Toph and when he wasn't here this morning we went out to look for him. We brought him back here where I could look at his wounds. It looked like he got hit by a runaway bison." Katara said as she started getting out cookware and looking at dismay at the threadbare selection of foods Naruto kept in his kitchen. "So what brings you here in such a rush?"

"Well we…" Ino started.

"Came as soon as we knew Naruto had been hurt." Sakura blurted to cover her actions. She jabbed Ino in the ribs to shut her up. "I'm not used to anyone else looking after Naruto. I figured he'd need some healing after last night."

"Yes, he heals remarkably fast though." Katara noted. "Some of his lighter injuries had already healed before I could get to them."

"Yeah, he heals quickly. He'd almost have to in order to survive some of his stupid stunts." The pink haired medical ninja chuckled.

"Naruto is really lucky to have someone who cares for him as much as you do." Katara said with her back to the two girls as she set about washing up some dishes to use for cooking once the boys returned with the food.

"He's… just a friend. We've been on the same squad for years now." Sakura said as she looked away to find Toph and Ino looking at her. Well, Ino was looking at her and Toph had her head turned in her direction and was looking at her navel, but it was the same impression.

"What happened?" Naruto said in a groggy stupor as he tried to sit up.

"You got hit." Toph reported simply.

"No, wait, let me guess, Hiashi right?" Naruto said with disgust as he swayed a little after sitting up.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're able to sit up so quickly." Katara said looking around at her charge.

"Naruto can bounce back from nearly anything in record time." Sakura said proudly.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" Naruto said happily.

"I came to check on you stupid." Sakura said sitting down on the couch. "Ino told me about you having a date with Hinata so I wanted to see how things went."

"Great right up until somebody sucker punched me." Naruto said irately.

"Somebody hit you?" Sakura said in mock astonishment. "Why?"

"I don't know. I thought it might have been Neji, since he and Ino were trying to pull something." Naruto said looking over at Ino suspiciously. "I thought something was up with me being invited to the Hyuuga compound so suddenly, and I figured Ino was in on the joke whatever it might be. Hinata basically told me it was Neji's idea and I distinctly remember seeing Ino there in the garden last night. So tell me Ino, what exactly was your little plan and who nailed me from behind?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Naruto, I didn't…"

"We didn't mean for it to get that far." Sakura said quickly.

"You knew about this too Sakura-chan?" Naruto said in hurt disbelief.

"I'm sorry Naruto. The truth is that it wasn't a joke meant for you. We planned to pull a prank on Hiashi by making him think that you were pursuing Hinata. I was the one that knocked you and Hinata out, and we were going to have Hiashi find the two of you lying together. I didn't know that he was going to go off on you like he did. I'm sorry." Sakura said bowing her head. She hoped that the guilt she felt over lying to Naruto came across as grief over having put him through his ordeal.

"Sakura-chan, that is so… COOL!" Naruto blurted out loudly. Everyone looked up at the boy like he'd gone mad. "I mean, I wish you'd have let me in on the joke so I could have enjoyed it too, but seriously the look on Hiashi's face last night was priceless. I just wish I'd known what to expect so I could have ducked."

"Well you know Naruto; you never were one for being able to keep a secret very well." Sakura said with a short chuckle. Ino was staring at her agape.

"Well, it all turned out alright in the end. Hinata told me she had gone along with it for her own reasons so that she could finally conquer her fears and I think it worked. I don't think Hinata's afraid of me anymore. She must have gotten a kick out of messing with that pompous jerk of a father of hers too." Naruto said laughing loudly.

"Uh yeah, Hinata told me to tell you that she's sorry about what happened with her dad." Ino said slowly looking back at Sakura with open suspicion.

"Well, I'm glad everything worked out." Katara said looking around. Naruto's kitchen was cleaner than it had ever been. Every surface gleamed and it smelled fresher than the usual 'milk past the expiration date that's been left on the counter' smell.

"Wow, I need to get clobbered more often." Naruto said in appreciation.

"That can be arranged." Sakura said sourly as she lapsed into her comfortable relationship with the young blonde. "Hey, Katara's being nice enough to cook breakfast for you and the guys are out getting food since you don't keep any here. Why don't you go find them and see what's taking so long since you feel better."

"No problem." Naruto said jumping up and bolting for the door. "Be back in a jiffy."

As the door closed Sakura let out an explosive breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She turned around to find all the girls looking at her again. "What?"

"You're going to have to tell him the truth eventually." Katara said going back to the kitchen and puttering around.

"Azula would have been proud." Toph agreed. "You lie like a champion."

"You were jealous." Ino concluded. "You're in love with Naruto."

"I am not. Naruto is my friend and while yes I care for him because we've been on a team together for years now, it doesn't mean that I'm in love with him." Sakura said defensively.

For once everyone's attention left her and shifted to Toph. The sudden silence apparently tipped off the resident blind lie detector. "Don't look at me, I couldn't tell you if she's lying or not."

"She's that good?" Ino asked.

"No, it's just that some of the hardest lies to detect are the ones we tell ourselves." Toph said enigmatically. "Sometimes, when you've been around someone for a while it's hard to know what you feel and you tell yourself all kinds of things."

It was a shame that Toph couldn't see, but then it wouldn't have helped her see her own blush anyway. Katara picked up on it quickly.

"So which one is it, Aang or Sokka?" Katara asked quietly.

Toph looked ready to offer her own defense much as Sakura just had, but she stopped and turned away. "Sokka." The blind young girl murmured.

"I see." Katara nodded.

"At least that makes one of us." Toph said with false bravado before sighing and looking depressed again.

The four girls looked around at each other, their thoughts lost in the possibilities of what might be and what could be, and most importantly, how they wished they could be.

"I'm falling for Choji." Ino confessed.

"Aang likes me and I like him, but I don't think we're going to be able to have a relationship." Katara confided.

The four girls collectively sighed. They were still that way when the door burst open and Naruto barreled in. "Girls, come quick, we're needed at the Hokage's tower!"

"What is it Naruto?" Sakura asked as she jumped up in alarm.

"We've gotten a lead on Aang's people!" Naruto announced as he sprang out the door and set out for the tower at a dead run.

The four girls tore out after him, all thoughts of breakfast completely gone. As it just so happened, Sakura fell into step beside Ino as the lot of them raced for the Hokage's office.

"Um, Ino? Can we keep what went on as just our little secret?" Sakura asked delicately.

"Sure, actually the idea of you being in love with Naruto is funnier than the thought of you being gay." Ino chuckled.

Sakura bit off the retort she'd been ready to fire off at her nemesis since she _was_ going to be keeping her secret.

"And I'll keep your feelings for Choji quiet until you're ready to tell him." Sakura promised.

"Yeah, well, it probably won't be much longer. I better stake a claim soon before some other girl beats me to the punch." Ino said worriedly.

"I don't see Choji as having a bunch of suitors." Sakura said diplomatically. Most girls didn't find guys attractive who could crush them by rolling over in their sleep.

"That'll change." Ino said sagely.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, my dad is on the same team with Choji's dad, and apparently Choji's clan has never had any real problems finding wives." Ino said blushing.

Sakura's dumbfounded expression must have spoken volumes as Ino slowed a little so the other girls couldn't hear and whispered something into her ear. They nearly collided with Toph as she stopped dead still in the road ahead of them.

The sharp eared earthbender looked at them incredulously with her unseeing eyes wide open. "You mean he can make _THAT_ bigger with his jutsu?!"

**A/N: Choji is my hero.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I hope everyone is well. I've not been online to see how people are doing in quite some time (spring is my busiest season), but I hope all me readers are doing well. Please enjoy the latest chapter. And as usual, I do not own Naruto, Avatar the Last Airbender, or very much else for that matter.**

**Chapter 9.**

"This is the most impressive piece of reconnaissance I think I've ever seen." Tsunade said as she looked over Jiraiya's report. "How did you ever come up with this?"

Jiraiya leaned back beaming with pride at the praise he received infrequently from his old teammate. "I have many more resources than most of the ANBU."

"You're certain this man is the one we're looking for?" Iroh asked looking over the information the frog sage had gathered.

"He'd almost have to be." Kakashi noted. "How Jiraiya-sama knew he was still alive though is amazing. Why isn't he still in our bingo book?"

"He was presumed dead." Tsunade replied looking over her own reports on the man known as Higurehoshi Yuu. "He was wanted for assisting Orochimaru and was believed dead after he was knocked off a high cliff during a fight with one of the ANBU. Apparently his body was never recovered though."

"Yuu was also wanted by Suna for pretty much the same reasons. He was always considered a master of air techniques, using them as freely as the Uchiha clan uses fire. Apparently, his air techniques were even strong enough to save him during the fall. Since Suna and Konoha weren't sharing information during those days, he was left on the Suna bingo book. Some of the sand ninja then later reported him being alive and still operating in their territory. They managed to shut his operation down, but he fled before they could capture him. I pulled some favors with the sand, and got the report from them. I then put the word out to some of my old contacts and informers on old cronies of Orochimaru that might still be in circulation. That's how I got his location." Jiraiya explained.

"I don't think I've ever seen this level of work from you Jiraiya, I'm impressed." Tsunade conceded.

_I had some serious motivation._ Jiraiya thought to himself as he bowed quietly. He risked a quick glance at Iroh and smirked. By sundown the overweight pain in the rear would be on the road and out of his and, more importantly, Tsunade's life forever. It wasn't really that he felt jealous of the old coot; it was just that in world of ninja he and Tsunade had what passed for a comfortable relationship. They were both alone and occasionally lonely, and sometimes it was nice to go out and drink sake with someone you could still be alone with.

"You told Naruto?" Tsunade asked Kakashi.

"Yes, and I sent Shizune to find the others." The Konoha copy ninja confirmed.

"Quick, open the door!" Tsunade said quickly.

Kakashi complied swiftly, moving aside.

Jiraiya watched as the empty hallway suddenly filled with young people as they collided in front of the Hokage's office in a heap of young bruised body parts. "You know Tsunade that reminds me of Orochimaru's eighteenth birthday party when the three of us…"

"Zip it." Tsunade said dangerously.

"Sorry."

"Ow, your elbow's in my chest!" Toph complained as the mass of teenagers tried to disentangle themselves.

"Felt like your back." Zuko griped.

"OW!" Sokka screamed.

"Sorry, thought I was hitting Zuko." Toph apologized.

Eventually, the young people managed to get sorted out and came to stand in front of the desk. "You said you've had word on my people?" Aang said excitedly.

"Yes, Jiraiya here managed to secure some information but I'm not exactly sure it is good news." The Hokage said seriously. "The only member of your race that we've been able to get a lead on is a fugitive criminal in our world, responsible for helping one of our most sadistic villains in committing unspeakable acts of evil."

"Great, now I've gone from hunting for the Avatar to hunting for the Avatar's evil cousin." Zuko groused.

"How are we supposed to find a sadistic, evil monster?" Sakura asked.

"Found one." Toph said pointing at the Fire Prince.

"You're thinking of my sister." Zuko retorted.

"There's two. See? We're good at this kind of thing." Toph explained.

"It's still going to be nearly impossible to find him." Zuko said ignoring the barbs from his blind nemesis.

"I would not be so quick to assume failure nephew. You greatly underestimate yourself." Iroh advised sagely.

"Yeah Zuko, you managed to track me across open ocean while I was on a flying bison. If it's one thing I've learned not to underestimate, it's your ability to track someone down." Aang agreed.

"And I think I have just the people in mind to assist you." Tsunade agreed.

"Tsunade-sama! I have a complaint!" Hiashi interrupted as he stormed into the office with Neji and Hinata in tow.

"This is the Hokage's office." Tsunade said irately. "It is the nerve center for a major ninja village. Could someone PLEASE explain to me why people seem to be able to barge in here like it was a department store? Where's Shizune?"

"Sorry Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said in mortification as she peaked out from behind the enraged Hiashi.

"Hiashi, whatever it is you want to complain about, _today_, it will have to wait. I am preparing to send a mission out after a dangerous criminal." Tsunade reprimanded.

Hiashi folded his arms and smoldered while Tsunade turned back to the gathered young people. "I am going to send a squad with you to assist you in apprehending Yuu. He is wanted by the village after all."

"Great! I'm in!" Naruto blurted.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Tsunade agreed.

"Excellent decision Tsunade-sama." Hiashi said happily cheering up for the first time. "Might I also suggest that since you are looking for something that you send the best eyes in the village? Neji would be more than happy…"

"That is an excellent suggestion Hiashi!" Tsunade said in mock excitement that usually told Jiraiya it was time to duck. "I think I will send Neji, Hinata too since this mission so important."

"Well, I thought you might… what was that?" Hiashi said with the color draining from his face as he looked from Hinata to Naruto.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the man's discomfort. He wasn't too surprised at the next revelation either.

"I'll go too Tsunade-sama." Sakura offered. "They'll need a good healer."

"No Sakura, I need you to stay here. There is something that I must teach you. Katara is a good healer as well. She can handle anything that comes their way."

"But…"

"Dismissed, Sakura." Tsunade said levelly. Sakura quickly clammed up and bowed before leaving with Ino.

"I must protest Tsunade-sama." Hiashi said gravely.

"What is it now?"

"These people are still aliens to our village and I do not wish to send Hinata, my heir, off on a mission with people we do not fully know. Anything might happen." Hiashi said with nervousness actually creeping into his voice. Jiraiya followed his gaze to Naruto once again. He doubted seriously that the visitors to the village were the ones he was truly worried about.

"Very well, we'll have an exchange then." Tsunade said nodding. "One of their number will stay here as insurance of their return. Iroh, you will stay here and Jiraiya will go in your place to make sure nothing happens."

"As you wish, Tsunade." Iroh said bowing.

It was not lost on Jiraiya that Iroh was speaking to Tsunade so informally. "Now wait a minute."

"You can't really mean to send him do you?" Hiashi said looking at Jiraiya like the proverbial wolf left in charge of the sheep.

"Are you implying I'm unfit for this mission?" Jiraiya said dangerously turning on the Hyuuga. If it was one thing he couldn't stand, it was someone underestimating him.

"Not in the slightest!" Hiashi said quickly. "It's just that…"

"Well, it was _your_ idea Hiashi." Tsunade said in that infuriatingly reasonable tone she sometimes took. "Since we're sending people from our village out to unknown circumstances this is the most reasonable thing to do. Besides, Jiraiya was the one who found all this information, so it would only stand to reason that he should lead the expedition."

And there it was. It had been decided. Jiraiya looked at Tsunade sadly. She'd managed to neatly arrange everyone just the way she wanted them. As she and Hiashi set to arguing, his mind wandered to the coming mission. Once that woman made up her mind, it was all over. Jiraiya looked at his charges. Five young people from another world, and three from his own; the only hope he had now of keeping Tsunade single was to hurry this mission along as quickly as possible.

"I'm going to go prepare myself for the mission." He announced as he turned to leave. He forced himself not to look at Tsunade or Iroh. The argument seemed to cease at his words.

"It has not yet been concluded…" Hiashi started.

"Yes, it has." Jiraiya said sounding defeated. "After knowing Tsunade for as long as I have I can tell you, that yes, it has definitely been decided."

"Very well then." Hiashi said finally before turning to Naruto. "It appears that you and Hinata are going to be on a team together Naruto. If anything happens to her, and I do mean _anything_ happens to her, I'm going to hold you personally responsible."

"I'd rather die than let anything happen to someone I care about." Naruto retorted. He then took on a feral grin as he looked over and wrapped his arm around Hinata's shoulders. "I'll take real good care of Hinata-chan… dad."

The entire room went still. Jiraiya looked around at all the faces of the people gathered there at the moment frozen in time. Hinata looked elated. Naruto looked triumphant. Neji looked bored. Tsunade looked amused. And Hiashi… fainted.

* * *

Tsunade sipped her tea as she looked out the window. _You better come back from this one old man._

A quiet knock pulled her attention from her silent reverie as the Hokage turned to find her apprentice peaking in the door. "Master, do you have a moment?"

"Of course, come in Sakura." Tsunade said kindly as she turned back to watching the village as it went about its daily routine.

"I wanted to ask you something." Sakura said quietly.

"I'm sure you do." Her teacher agreed.

"What is it you wanted to teach me that you thought it couldn't wait until I got back from the mission?" Sakura asked miserably.

"What do you think of Jiraiya, Sakura?" Tsunade asked instead of answering.

"He's a powerful ninja, and he is wise." Sakura said diplomatically.

"You are to be commended for your respect to your elders even when they don't deserve it. The man is arrogant, loud, stubborn, and the most infuriating rogue ever to disgrace this village with his crass behavior. I fear that he is a bad influence on Naruto, and will one day craft him into a carbon copy of himself." Tsunade said derisively.

"He _is_ a bit of a free spirit." The apprentice agreed.

"Despite all of this, or perhaps even because of it, I care for him more deeply than anyone else in this whole village." Tsunade said seriously. Sakura was silent as Tsunade turned to look at her. "Jiraiya and I don't speak of our feelings much. He and I have each been through so much that it doesn't do to dwell on them. Now, all that we really have left is to have company while we're alone. We could probably have more but sadly each of us has grown too comfortable with the way things are. I see the same thing between you and Naruto. You've become comfortable with the way things are between you. While Naruto is gone I want you to decide what it is that you really feel for him, not just the things you always tell yourself. Right now, you're worried about how things are going to go with him and Hinata while you aren't there. You're worried that the relationship you've grown comfortable with might be gone when he gets back. The two of you are still young, with your whole lives ahead of you and the thought of never coming back from a mission still hasn't sunk in, even after all the dangers you've faced. The lesson I'm teaching you is this, if you always wait until after the next mission you may miss out. People don't always come back from missions, and when they do they aren't always the same people. What ever it is you decide; make sure it's what you can live with."

Sakura looked distant as she digested all that she had been told. Tsunade wasn't going to interfere with the lives of the young people under her, but she didn't want Sakura to make the same mistakes she had. "Thank you master."

Tsunade turned back to the window as she listened to Sakura opening the door. "And Sakura… If you would like some extra duties to keep you busy while Naruto is away, I'll give you all you ask for. I've found from experience that it helps."

* * *

Naruto turned to look around at his crestfallen master. "Hey old man, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You wouldn't understand anyway."

Naruto threw his pack over his shoulder and waited for the rest of the squad members to arrive. "You look down. We're about to be off on another adventure!"

Naruto looked up at his master as he had one of his unusual serious moments. "Sometimes Naruto, the greatest thing about an adventure is being able to come back home and lay down your pack for a while. Make sure you always have a place to come back to."

"I'll always protect this village." Naruto assured his teacher.

"That's not what I meant." Jiraiya said seriously. "Just think about it will you?"

Naruto nodded and turned to see Hinata coming. It had been one of the most hilarious jokes he'd ever seen in his life watching Hiashi pass out. Hinata had been smiling so big he thought her face was going to split in half. Naruto smiled at her approach at the thought of the wonderful joke.

Hinata stopped as Sakura came running after her. Naruto looked at his teammate in surprise at her coming to see them off. Sakura stopped and Naruto watched as the two started talking for several minutes. Finally, Sakura turned and ran off towards the Hokage's tower.

Hinata looked troubled when she joined the two of them. "Hey Hinata-chan, what did Sakura want? Why didn't she come say goodbye?"

"She has a lot of duties to attend to for the Hokage while we're away." Hinata explained looking back toward the retreating figure with pink hair.

"What did she say?" Naruto asked.

"Oh nothing really." Hinata said looking at him strangely. "She just wanted me to tell you all to be careful."

"Why do you look so perplexed then?" Jiraiya asked the young Hyuuga heiress.

"Well, it was what she said as she was leaving." Hinata explained.

"What was that?"

"She said 'I will not lose to you'." The young woman said faintly touching her lips. She seemed to get a little nervous.

"Man, you must be getting a lot stronger for Sakura to consider you a rival." Naruto said enthusiastically.

"A rival?" Hinata said looking at the ball of energy which was Naruto.

"Yeah, Ino can't really keep up with her anymore in skill or power." Naruto said nodding as he noticed everyone finally gathering. "Great, it looks like everyone's here and the games are about to begin."

"Yes." Hinata agreed looking back the way Sakura had gone. "It looks like things are just getting started."

**A/N: Just curious. I wonder what all everyone thinks Sakura said to Hinata? Let me know if you want to. And for those of you whose reviews I haven't replied to, fear not, I'm getting caught up today!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello all! If this chapter seems a bit different in format, please forgive me. I wrote this during my free time at work. Sorry it's a couple of days late.**

**Chapter 10.**

"So, he will be back won't he?" Aang asked seriously.

_Probably after the money runs out. _Naruto thought to himself. "He said he was going to check some of his informants in the next village. The old pervert might be useless most of the time, but he's pretty good at getting information." _Yeah, name, age, marital status..._

"Well, I guess we can use the time for training, after all we don't know what we're going to run into with this guy." Sokka reasoned. "Are your master's contacts reliable?"

_More reliable than he is usually. _Naruto mentally sneered. "Oh yeah, it should only take him a couple of days to get the information he's after." _If he's sobered up by then that is..._

"I wonder why he didn't take us with him?" Zuko mused suspiciously. After all, he had an uncle that could at times be as bad as Jiraiya.

_Probably didn't want Granny Tsunade finding out what he's been up to._ "Some of his contacts are members of the underworld. They're typically wanted people, and can be dangerous." _At least dangerous unless you've had all your shots._

"Did you meet any of his connections while you were training with him Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked innocently.

For some reason warning bells started going off in the back of Naruto's mind. This was odd; since he considered his brain fairly unreliable and tended toward being an act first think later kind of guy. Now, however he got an overwhelming sensation of dread surrounding the idea of telling Hinata that, yes he did in fact have a very long and confusing conversation with one of Jiraiya's contacts concerning things completely off the subject of 'birds' and 'bees'. "Actually, the old man didn't like it when they paid any attention to me. Usually, he went to meet them alone after he had dropped me off at an inn or something."

"Well, I guess a little training wouldn't hurt." Toph interjected. "It's my day with Aang."

"Can I watch the two of you train?" Naruto asked seriously. "My element is wind, so I might get ideas from watching you as well."

"Really?" Aang said animatedly. "Hey, can I see some of your moves?"

Naruto grinned before creating two shadow clones. Aang's jaw looked like it was going drag the ground as he looked at the three clones in front of him.

"I don't think I can do that one." The young kid said with a gulp. "Can you show me how?"

"That's not the move, this is!" Naruto chuckled as his two clones began waving their hands over his outstretched palm. One to help him form the chakra and the other helped him convert it to the air element. Naruto's brow knitted in concentration until he had his perfect Rasengan floating above his palm.

"Aw, that's easy." Aang said crestfallen. He held out his palm and an identical Rasengan appeared in his hand. "I use a variant of it to ride around on all the time."

Naruto's eyes were nearly as large as his skull at this point. "It took me forever to learn how to create even a basic Rasengan, whereas it only took a single afternoon to figure out how to make shadow clones. And yet, you were impressed by the shadow clones and you just did the Rasengan without thinking?!"

"You get used to it." Katara, Toph, and Zuko said dismissively.

"He IS the avatar." Katara reasoned.

"I need to be learning from YOU!" Naruto said; stunned at seeing what the young monk was capable of.

"Works for me, I'll just wait over here, you two take your time." Toph said shrugging.

The little party broke up setting off to do various bits of training. Zuko, Sokka, and Neji went off to practice combat. Katara went to practice waterbending with Hinata (which curiously looked like it was going to involve a lot of soap, soaking, and probably a great deal of sunbathing). Toph, wandered over to lounge against a tree stump while Aang set about trying to teach Naruto how to balance on a ball of air.

"I don't think this is going to work." Aang finally announced after an hour.

"Why? I'm sitting here on thin air!" Naruto announced triumphantly.

"Yeah, but you've got a clone on either side of you maintaining the ball." Aang pointed out.

"Well, I guess that would be a problem." The blonde ninja conceded.

"You might get it someday, but in the meantime it's time for Aang's lesson." Toph announced. "Go bring me a boulder from that mountain before sundown."

Naruto followed the pointing finger of the diminutive earthbender to see the tiny peak far in the distance. "That's impossible!" Aang protested loudly. "I'd have to fly all the way there and back just to make it!"

"Then you better get started." Toph retorted. "You might try skating on a wave of earth like I do, but trying to fly while carrying a boulder sounds good too. And remember, I'll be able to tell if you're lying about where you got the boulder."

Aang grumbled and set out towards the distant peak as fast as his glider could carry him. Naruto meanwhile started thinking about how he could fly around without the assistance of two shadow clones.

"Well, now that he's gone, maybe you can tell me what you were hiding from everyone else." Toph said directly, as she turned to face the blonde.

"Hiding?" Naruto asked distractedly.

"Yes, I could sense your heart speed up when you were telling us about Jiraiya's contacts. What were you hiding?" Toph insisted.

"Oh, that was nothing. I just didn't..." Naruto said before realizing that his mouth had once again outdistanced his brain and his better judgment.

"Didn't what..." Toph said levelly as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Naruto.

Naruto felt ready to crawl under a rock. "I didn't want Hinata knowing I've talked to Jiraiya's 'contacts' before."

"Why, what kind of people is he conferring with?" The blind little interrogator demanded.

"Let's just say most of his contacts are women." Naruto said evasively.

Toph blinked for several seconds. "So when you say you were _talking_ to them..."

"It's just that Sakura-chan gets angry every time I talk about the pervy sage's friends and I didn't want Hinata to get angry at me too." Naruto said quickly. "I mean, I don't know why Sakura gets angry, they were all pretty nice to me when I met them. They even offered to let me stay with them, but the pervy sage already had a room for us. They even offered to come keep me company while he was out, but he never would allow that."

Toph seemed to be blinking even more. "So let me get this straight, you knew enough that you realized that you didn't want Hinata to be mad at you for talking to these women, but you don't know why?"

"Well, I assume it was because they wanted to train me." Naruto concluded.

"Train you?"

"Yeah, one of them offered to 'make a man' out of me, but I told her it wasn't necessary because Jiraiya was all the teacher I needed." Naruto said proudly. "With him to train me, why would I need anyone else?"

"Was Jiraiya around when she said that?"

"Yeah, he was so proud of my loyalty he let me have my own room for a few days after that." Naruto confided.

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, he pretty much avoided me the entire time. But that's not unusual he usually avoids me when he doesn't want to bother training me." Naruto said dismissively.

Toph stared at the ninja for several minutes until Naruto started feeling uncomfortable. The only person that stared at him like that was Hinata, though he'd grown accustomed to it to the point it didn't make him uncomfortable anymore.

"Naruto, you may be just what I need." Toph said seriously.

"What do you mean?"

"I need somebody completely clue... just like you, to help me with a problem I'm having." Toph said seriously. "What I need to know Naruto is what would it take for you to realize that a girl liked you."

"Some girl likes me?" Naruto replied in alarm.

"Focus Naruto!" The young earthbending master insisted. "What would it take to make you think to yourself, 'I think this girl might be in love with me'?"

Warning bells started going off in the back of Naruto's brain again. It had started happening more often lately, usually when talking about girls. Now if only it could work when he was having a shuriken thrown at him from behind, then THAT would be something, but this? "I don't know. I guess if she kissed me?"

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Toph said sickly.

"Why what's wrong?"

"Well, the first time I tried doing it that way, I ended up kissing a girl by mistake." Toph said offhandedly. She then turned to look back at the young ninja. "Well, let's try a different approach. If a girl were to walk up and kiss you, how would you prefer for it to happen?"

Again Naruto's mind started running out of control, and for once it was his mouth that was being left in the dust as he found himself speechless. Careful thought not being his forte though, his mouth quickly got back in the lead and started out without his mind giving prior approval to the wording. "I guess I'd want it to be a surprise." He heard himself saying. "I'm not a really romantic kind of guy, I'm not really good at that kind of stuff. I'd just want her to walk up and kiss me out of the blue."

Toph seemed to think about this for a moment, and the answer seemed to please her. She grinned and turned away to stare off towards the camp. "Then I guess that's exactly how I'm going to have to tell him."

"What?" Naruto asked before Toph spun around and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Naruto, that's just what I needed to know!" Toph said before turning on her heels and running back towards the camp.

Naruto stood there for several minutes watching the direction that Toph had left in. In his mind several little small furry hamsters pumped furiously on their little wheels trying to process the thoughts running through his mind before a fox's claw reached out from the darkness to snatch them away to a terrible fate. On the outside, Naruto tried to come to grips with his reality and failed.

"Toph is in love with me!" The blonde ninja managed to blurt.

Then Naruto fainted.

* * *

"So what ARE you doing?" Katara asked her new companion as she rinsed the soap from her dark hair.

"I'm watching Naruto train." Hinata said sheepishly.

"You mean you can see them from here?" Katara asked quickly as she covered her nakedness and ducked low in the water.

"Don't worry, they can't see us. They're half a mile away on the other side of that hill over there." Hinata said pointing to the hill in question.

"Man, the power of your eyes really is something else." Katara said in approval. "So what are they doing?"

"Well, Toph said something to Aang and he flew away, and now she's talking to Naruto." Hinata reported.

"What are they saying?" Katara asked conspiratorially. She wasn't above a little eavesdropping after all.

"I don't know. I can't hear, I can only see what they're…" Hinata began before turning red and quickly averting her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked in concern.

"Nothing." Hinata said quickly. "I think I'll go check on Naruto now."

Hinata jumped up, wrapping a towel around her quickly before blasting off at top speed in the direction of Naruto and Toph. Katara watched her go and sighed. She'd hoped having another more feminine girl in the group would give her someone to talk to, but things just didn't seem to be working out that way. The waterbender sighed and began floating in the cool water for a little while longer. Training could wait till later.

**A/N: Next update promises to have some interesting happenings, yes? **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: And now it's time for our monthly installment of Leaves in the Wind. Sadly, I just now found out that they're airing the new episodes of episode three of Avatar. I say sadly because I missed seeing them, but I'm still happy because now there's more Avatar to watch. I hope you guys like this month's issue. As usual, I own neither series.**

**Chapter 11.**

"So you're saying that your uncle is trying to breed you off to Toph to create a legion of earthbending sharp-eyed super ninja?" Sokka said in shock.

"Yeah, I've had a rough family life." Neji said miserably as the three boys rested from their combat training. Actually, it was more like Neji resting while the other two recovered.

"I can sympathize." Zuko said straightly. "You sure your dad has never met my dad?"

"If he had, Neji here might have ended up with your sister." Sokka interjected.

Neji didn't like the look the two young men then exchanged. It seemed for the longest time like they were considering something. Finally, Zuko shook his head. "I don't hate Neji enough to do that to him."

"Enough?" Neji and Sokka asked in unison.

"Just trust me, there is absolutely no way you're going to have to worry about getting hooked up with Toph." Zuko said quickly. "She's too fiercely independent. She'd never accept any sort of marriage proposal."

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it." Sokka said seriously. "After all, sometimes even the most solitary of girls want companionship."

"You think Toph would go for someone like him?" Zuko said jerking a thumb in Neji's direction.

"I'm not saying that necessarily. I'm just saying that Toph might actually find someone one of these days and that she might decide to settle down quicker than you think." Sokka reasoned.

"You guys are talking like I'm trying to make this happen." Neji complained. "The point is that I don't WANT a relationship with her. Truth be told, I'd rather she hated me."

"Well, you could try being a jerk. It seems to work for Zuko." Sokka advised.

"Thanks Sokka, I really appreciate it." Zuko shot back.

"What I mean is that you manage to keep all the fan girls off of you by being cold and distant to them. It's worked so far." Sokka pressed.

"Oh, thanks, I think." Zuko replied dubiously.

"So what have you tried?" Sokka continued.

"Well, I tried being as boring as I possibly could, but she seemed to find everything I said funny." Neji said remembering his evening with the blind enemy of his independence. "Then I tried coming on to her like I was a pervert."

"How did that turn out?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know. Tenten jumped out of the trees about that time and tried to neuter me." Neji said miserably. "I spent the rest of the night defending myself from a very angry young woman who seemed to have a never ending supply of throwing knives."

"I feel for you buddy, I been there myself." Zuko said comfortingly.

"Well, then what we need to do is find out what kind of guy Toph is looking for." Sokka concluded.

"I don't think you've been following the conversation Sokka…" Neji started.

"No wait, just hear me out. If we can find out what it is that Toph is looking for in man, then all you'll have to do is be the opposite type of person she wants to dissuade her from liking you." Sokka said as he pondered the problem.

"Won't that look funny with me acting one way on a particular day and then acting the complete opposite the next day?" Neji wondered.

"Yeah, you might look even more like a woman." Zuko said letting out a chauvinistic chortle as he looked at Neji's long hair. His laughter slowly died and fell silent under the stares of his companions however. "Sorry."

"Neji is right though. What we need to do is try to figure out the type of guy Toph likes and then let him do the opposite. We'll each try acting a certain way around her and see what she responds too. So… any ideas?" Sokka asked the group.

"She might like the sappy romantic type, you know like that time I went in your tent and you had that rose…" Zuko began.

"I thought we were never to mention that one again." Sokka said dangerously. "Anyway, since that's Zuko's idea, he can try that one out."

"WHAT?!" Zuko cried.

"Here, you see if you can try out some sort of sappy romantic stuff on Toph and we'll see if she responds to it." Sokka said with an evil grin.

"Why don't YOU try being the sappy romantic?" Zuko griped.

"Because I've known Toph long enough that if she noticed me acting like that she'd know something was up. Trust me, I doubt very seriously that Toph is looking for someone who spouts poetry and brings her flowers. I'll even help you do it. Then if this doesn't work, we'll try something else and I'll be the one to try that." Sokka explained to the unwilling Romeo.

"I can monitor her reactions too, using my observation techniques. I will be able to tell instantly what she's feeling as long as I'm able to watch closely." Neji agreed.

"Fine. We'll do it tonight then." Sokka concluded. Neji smiled. For once things were looking like they might clear up.

* * *

Hinata wasn't stupid. It didn't take her very long to figure out that running into Naruto wearing nothing but a towel might prove to be a little embarrassing. She didn't however have time to go back to camp for more clothing. The last thing she saw was Toph kissing Naruto and the last thing she wanted was another rival. Modesty however caused her to slow as she found the clearing and she timidly poked her head out to see what was going on.

When she saw Naruto unconscious on the ground she didn't know whether to be mortified, elated, or both. Hinata rushed to his side and checked the young man she'd fallen for to see if he was breathing. She then reached down to touch one of his chakra points at the base of his neck to help bring him to consciousness.

Naruto's eyes popped open and the boy surged to his feet bringing Hinata along for the ride as he grabbed her shoulders. It wasn't until Hinata was standing that she realized her towel hadn't made the trip with her.

"Hinata I need you!" Naruto cried with all the passion of someone who lives life a 90 mph on a slow day.

Hinata stood there trembling, the ramifications of such a comment running through her teenage mind with enough suggestions loaded into it to completely write out one of Jiraiya's novels. "Naruto… kun… I… I'm…"

"Toph is in love with me!" Naruto whimpered desperately. "I've never had a girl in love with me before. What do I do?"

For just a moment, Hinata stood there in abject confusion at what she was experiencing. She was naked, with Naruto's hands on her shoulders, and he was in a panic over some other girl being in love with him and asking HER for advice?

"Naruto… I… I'm…" Hinata tried to say as she stood there trembling on the verge of collapse. Her face had a blush spreading quickly down to her neck and all points south. If she had thought trying to kiss him was terrifying...

Naruto looked at Hinata's dumbfounded expression and then slowly his eyes began to lower, almost against his will. Hinata couldn't think of what else to do, so… she hugged him.

"Um Hinata, are you…"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Don't ask. Did you see anything?"

"Um no, not really."

"Can you see anything now?"

"Uh, no."

Naruto seemed to fidget as if not knowing where to put his hands, or where to move. "Could you wrap your arms around me? I'm a little cold." Hinata said meekly.

"Okay." Naruto said uncomfortably. "So why are you naked?"

"I told you not to ask." Hinata scolded mildly. "I… came running from where I was taking a bath. I saw you… collapse." _Yeah, we'll go with that one._ "And I thought you might be hurt."

"Oh." Naruto said blankly. "Can I ask you a question then?"

"Sure." Hinata half whispered in his ear. She had to admit that the scene probably looked incredibly silly, but at the moment her mind was threatening to shut down completely, and the only thing stopping her was the realization that if she fainted Naruto was going to get a first hand look at _everything_. Hinata SO wanted to faint right now.

"I think Toph loves me. What do I do?" Naruto explained.

_He's got a naked girl here in his arms and he's still thinking about…_ "What did she say exactly?"

"She asked me how I would know if a girl really liked me. And when I told her that I would think a girl really liked me if she just up and kissed me out of the blue, she kissed me and then ran off. I've never had a girl that liked me before so I guess I was overwhelmed and fainted." Naruto explained.

Hinata could barely believe her ears. If Toph loved Naruto it meant she had two rivals to deal with. Sakura's confession to her that she had interrupted their kiss and was her rival for Naruto's affections had been shocking enough, but to have this transpire was totally unfathomable.

Finally, Hinata reached a decision. She had managed to get up the courage once before to kiss Naruto, now she was going to have to do it again. The circumstances, if at all possible, were even more terrifying than before but if she didn't do something there were two different girls now that could very easily win the boy's heart. It had to be now.

* * *

Naruto's mind hurt. He had a definite headache from all the thinking he was trying to do. Hinata had to know the answers. She was a girl; surely she could tell him what he needed to do.

Hinata reached up and put her hands on each side of his cheek. "I can't believe how innocent you are after all this time Naruto-kun."

"Innocent or just plain stupid?" Naruto said miserably. Yes, he had Hinata right there naked in his arms but he wasn't like the pervy sage, and he respected Hinata. That was one reason why he was asking her for help now. "Hinata, I don't know what to say."

"Do you love Toph?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I don't know. How can I know if I'm in love with someone? I'm not like other people. I never grew up knowing what it felt like to love and be loved." Naruto whispered in a deep melancholy.

"Then you'll know when it's a feeling like nothing you've ever felt before." Hinata said reassuringly as she brought his forehead down to hers. "Naruto, when you love someone you do whatever you can for them and you put them and their well being ahead of your own and you try to protect them no matter what."

"Like the village?" Naruto asked honestly.

"Yes, much like you love the village. Only, with that special person, it's more. You feel pain when they hurt and you feel happy when they feel happy. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world." Hinata explained patiently.

"So, do you love someone?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, I do." Hinata said finally as if preparing herself. Slowly, she stepped back from Naruto. Naruto politely turned his head only to find her hands still cupping his cheeks. He looked at Hinata in surprise as she slowly pulled his head down to gaze at her body as she presented it to him.

"Hinata… you're… you're…"

"Is this 'out of the blue' enough for you?" Hinata asked shyly before she stepped back into his embrace and she quickly claimed his lips with her own.

Fireworks began going off behind Naruto's eyes as sweet consciousness again threatened to escape him. _Hinata loves me too?_ The sweet taste of Hinata's kiss surged through him as Naruto finally began to understand what it meant to feel love. He'd never experienced such a warm sensation spreading across his being. All he could do was cling to Hinata like a man who had never known the taste of water suddenly being given something to drink as he lay dying of thirst.

He held her there for what seemed like an eternity before their need to breathe drove their lips apart. Panting, Naruto cursed his lungs as he once again had Hinata pulled close into his embrace. She rubbed her cheek against his ear, and he heard her whisper. "And in case there is any doubt, I love you."

Naruto stood there at a loss for words. He could never hope to express what he was feeling at that moment. In that one instant all his dreams of being acknowledged by the village, all his hopes of being respected, seemed irrelevant. As long as he had that one young woman in his arms the rest didn't matter.

Naruto was nearly swaying on his feet when Hinata spun him around roughly. Naruto was taken back by the ferocity of her movement. She put her hands up around the back of his neck as she lay all of her weight against him. She gazed up into his eyes and Naruto looked down at what he now knew was a look of love and adoration. Slowly, Hinata began to slide down the length of his body and Naruto panicked. He'd seen enough of Jiraiya's books to know that usually what followed was the kind of stuff that Kakashi liked to read about.

"Hinata-chan, I can't. I'm not ready…" Naruto started as Hinata sank to her knees before him and then went limp in his arms. Naruto felt a familiar sense of dread and confusion wash over him as he felt a warm sensation on his hand.

Quickly, Naruto pulled Hinata forward to stare in horror at the kunai sticking out of her back and her blood flowing over his hands.

"HINATA! NO!!"

**A/N: Can you say plot twist boys and girls? Good, I knew you could. I usually don't go in for cliffhangers, but this one just screamed at me to be written.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well here's the next installment. I may not own Naruto or Avatar, but I DO own a World of Warcraft account, so if you need me I'll be in Azeroth. :)**

**Chapter 12.**

Akinori ducked under a branch. That last jump had nearly beheaded him. Of course getting his head taken off during his get away seemed to be the lesser of two evils as the foliage behind him erupted in a blaze of orange.

He'd nearly succeeded in killing Uzumaki. He had just about managed to throw hi kunai and get him in the back when that girl he'd been romancing had looked up and spun him out of danger at the last moment. Now he was running for his life.

Orochimaru had warned him about this. He'd told him that assassination was the only chance he would have. Open combat with the Uzumaki boy was going to be impossible since the Kyuubi would emerge if it felt Naruto was threatened or angry.

Judging from the trees exploding behind him as he fled, Akinori was fairly certain that Naruto had skipped angry and moved on to genocidal rampage with alarming speed. Akinori leaped for a limb that suddenly disappeared, along with the rest of the tree, and tumbled toward the ground. He righted himself and managed to cast out a line to a different tree to catch himself before he fell into the grasp of the glowing ninja below him who was rapidly growing more tails.

_This is it; I'm going to be fox food._ The sound ninja thought as the Kyuubi again took up pursuit. Naruto had nearly completely lost himself to the Kyuubi now. At first Akinori had considered standing to fight the Uzumaki boy. He'd looked up from the girls form and had charged the trees where he'd been hiding. At the time, Akinori had decided to go ahead and try slipping away to try again later at his own leisure. Now, it seemed that decision was the only thing that had kept him alive.

The sound ninja assassin could hear the man/fox that had been Naruto right behind him. He was one of the fastest ninja in Orochimaru's retinue, having served as a courier for many missions. Now, he was a terrified rabbit running from a fox that he was sure was just playing with his prey so that it's fear would make it's next meal that much more pleasurable.

Akinori pulled a katana and spun in mid flight determined to put up at least one last act of defiance before the Kyuubi killed him. He sliced at his pursuer madly to get in at least one good shot before he died but the fox grabbed the blade in mid-swing. The assassin stared into a face that looked nothing like Naruto anymore. Orochimaru had described this face to him, as he was one of the few who had seen it and lived.

The fox demon possessing Naruto howled in triumph as it swung the blade around with Akinori still flapping form the other end like a flag, and then it hurled him toward the ground. Akinori struck the ground and felt his ribs crack under the impact. The hilt of his katana was all the remained, the blade apparently disintegrated from the grip of the Kyuubi.

Akinori decided not to roll over as the Kyuubi landed. Instead he looked at the reddish orange glow growing brighter on the nearby trees and prepared himself to die. He watched until the glow suddenly turned blue. It wasn't until then that he dared peek behind him.

There standing between him and the Kyuubi was a little bald boy. It would have seemed ridiculous if it hadn't been for the fact that he had arrows tattooed across his body which were glowing bright blue. The aura surrounded him just as the reddish aura surrounded Uzumaki. The Kyuubi glared at the intruder with open malevolence. Then something happened that Akinori was sure Orochimaru had never even witnessed. The Kyuubi spoke.

"This one is mine." The fox demon growled in a gravelly voice that dripped with suffering. "His life is forfeit."

"I need him." The young boy replied. Akinori was astonished that his voice sounded like many people speaking in unison, most notably the voice of an old man. "You cannot have him."

"Your dominion is not here." The demon replied. "You cannot command me as you do the spirits of your world."

"I do not command even the spirits of my world." The aged voice replied. "I am only an ambassador between this world and the next."

"Then stand aside _ambassador _while I feed." The fox demon sneered.

"I will not. I need this one." The voices insisted from the young boy's body.

"Then DIE!"

Akinori watched as the Kyuubi lunged for the small boy. It was almost silly to watch as the boy grabbed the outstretched claws of the demon and the two stood there wrestling almost like to school age boys. It _would_ have been silly except for the raging auras around them ripped at each other trying to erase its opponent from existence.

The assassin was too weak to move away as he watched the fallout from the auras fall on nearby plants. Some would wither while others would sprout anew. It was if life and death were both vying for dominance. Akinori realize that his life or death also hinged on the outcome of this trial.

The two opponents continued to struggle as the Kyuubi taunted his opponent. "Your powers are weaker here. _I_ rule here, my power is limitless."

"Your power is only fueled by anger and hatred." The boy replied through gritted teeth. "While nearly limitless in scope, its life is brief, fleeting, only to be used by those without the strength to embrace true power."

"Those are the words of a foolish, dying old man." The Kyuubi chuckled.

"Perhaps, but they are still true." The voices from the little boy replied as he grinned. "The girl still lives."

"No!" The Kyuubi snarled as it seemed to recoil. "She died!"

"I can sense the others have reached her and have healed her. She is going to be alright." The glowing young man said as he pushed the Kyuubi back.

"I felt her die within my arms, felt her blood on my hands." The Kyuubi roared.

"That's the boy talking. You're losing him." The old voice noted with satisfaction.

"NO! He gave himself to me freely!" The Kyuubi growled. "I WILL BE FREE!"

"He gave himself to you because he recoils from death and destruction. He cannot bring himself to hatred so he comes to you because his own soul rejects it. Now as his anger drains away, so does your power. You are losing." The old man within the young boy explained as the Kyuubi began to shrink in on itself. Small patches of bloodied human flesh began to become visible.

"He hurt Hinata! He has to pay!" Naruto exclaimed, the line between man and demon once again beginning to blur.

"And he will pay." A young boy's voice now replied to him. "I'll make sure of it Naruto, just calm down, Hinata needs you."

At the mention of the girl's name the beast seemed to sag as if acknowledging defeat. And Naruto's bloodied skin once again appeared. "I need to go to her."

"Later. You need to rest first. She's alright; she'll be waiting for you when you wake up." The boy promised.

Naruto slumped to the ground, his body torn and shredded from the presence of the Kyuubi. The young boy began to glow a brighter blue as he held his hand over him. Water seemed to seep from the plants around them to coalesce into his hand before he knelt and touched him. The blue glow spread across Naruto's body. Healing him and restoring his body to its natural state. Once he had finished, the boy stood to turn to Akinori.

"Now, I believe I promised Naruto that you would pay for your crime." The old man's voice said once again taking control.

"Please, you said you needed me." Akinori said rolling over and crawling away from the old man. With horror he realized that his body had not made the trip. His translucent form looked down on his mortal shell and the sound ninja began to despair.

"I was referring to Naruto." The old voice said flatly. "You are of no use to me."

"Please, I can serve you! I've always been a good servant. I'm only here because my former master demanded it!" Akinori groveled.

"No, I think you should serve Hinata instead. You harmed her so to her it will be the debt of service you will owe." The old man said as if considering the idea.

"Yes! Yes, I swear I will serve her and never let harm befall her! I will protect her with my life!" Akinori swore to the blue glowing boy.

The boy smiled, and for some reason Akinori began to think he'd been better off throwing himself on the mercy of the Kyuubi. "Yes, you will be Hinata's companion. As for protecting her… well, we'll see. Remember, your life is tied now to your oath. Break your oath and abandon the girl and your soul will be given to the Kyuubi."

"Anything, just please put me back in my body." The sound ninja wept.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The old man replied. "I think this would be more suitable. Spirits; help me if you would."

Akinori watched in horror as ghost like figures emerged from the forest around him, all of them looking at him critically. He barely had time to scream.

* * *

Jiraiya stepped from behind the tree where he'd taken up position and watched Aang gather up Naruto onto his back and set off for camp. So _this _was the power of the Avatar.

Jiraiya stepped into the clearing and checked the body of the dead assassin that had tried to kill Naruto. His personal effects didn't reveal anything he didn't already know aside from his name.

The old man stretched and looked around the clearing. The physical battle had been less than impressive, but the spiritual battle that had taken place here would have made the greatest wars in history look like a playground scuffle. Jiraiya looked at what had been going on around the outskirts of the battle. Trees had twisted, plants had both withered and bloomed out of season, and it even looked as if some of them had been devolved into plants that had been extinct for thousands of years while other had evolved into something new.

Jiraiya looked down at one of these to realize it was looking back up at him before it scurried off on its own new legs. Yes, whatever power had been unleashed here was more than anything he'd ever seen before. Now more than ever, Jiraiya decided that the Avatar needed to be helped and sent back to where he came from so that things would be set right again.

* * *

"Is Hinata alright!" Naruto shouted as he sat straight up. Katara patiently put her hand on his forehead and pushed him back down hard.

"Yes, she's fine. When I heard you yelling I came to see what was going on and found her. Toph and I brought her back to camp, now be still." Katara commanded.

"But, I need to see Hinata." Naruto demanded.

"Fine, if it will make you feel better." Katara sighed, letting her unwilling patient rise. She then followed him out of the tent.

"So what happened?" Sokka asked the boy as he emerged.

"I don't know, I think someone tried to kill me and Hinata got hurt instead." Naruto said as he made his way toward Hinata's tent.

"What did you do?" Zuko asked as well.

"I don't remember." Naruto said stopping suddenly. "All I remember was seeing Hinata's blood on my hands and I lost it."

"You killed him." Aang said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at the young Avatar, and Naruto looked pained. "I did?"

"Yes, you knocked him to the ground while he was fleeing and he died. You collapsed afterwards." Aang said looking sad.

"I see." Naruto said glumly. "Well, I guess he won't be following me around anymore."

All the boys nodded in grim approval. Each of them were warriors, but the idea of killing someone still bothered them. Katara began to rethink the chauvinistic view her master had about women not being fighters. He was still wrong, but the idea of only using her power to help others instead of harming them did have its appeal.

All the darkness that seemed to have settled over the camp lifted as Hinata emerged from her tent. Naruto had her hands in his so fast that Katara had to look around to where he'd been standing next to her a moment before to make sure he wasn't still there.

"Hinata-chan! Are you alright?" Naruto gushed.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, I'm fine." Hinata said meekly, a blush moving to her cheeks.

"Oh guess what I found!" Aang said suddenly as he pulled his pack out. Everyone watched as he pulled a big eared rabbit out of his pack.

"What's a rabbit doing in your pack?" Neji asked flatly.

"Because... I don't have a hat to pull it out of?" Aang replied back hopefully.

"How adorable!" Katara commented on the little furry creature.

Naruto leaned down to look at the thing closely. The rabbit took one look at the ninja shrieked in terror and jumped to the ground before racing over to Hinata, making a valiant effort to crawl up under her shirt.

"Hey, come back here!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed the hem of the girl's shirt and rammed his hand in after the renegade rabbit.

"Um, Naruto…" Hinata said nervously. Naruto's brain apparently caught up with the rest of his body and he blushed furiously as he realized where his hand was.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan." Naruto said in embarrassment before yelping as his hand was quickly removed by a fresh bunny bite.

"That wasn't the rabbit." Hinata said in a trembling voice as Naruto sucked on his injured finger.

"You're right; it was warmer and softer than that little monster." Naruto said angrily before realization dawned as to where he'd actually been groping. He then started looking incredulously at his hand and Katara seriously doubted he was checking the bite. "He smells too." The boy said quickly to cover his embarrassment.

"You're one to talk Naruto. It looks like Hinata has a new pet." Jiraiya said wearily as he stepped out of the darkness at the edge of camp. "I swear I can't leave you kids alone anywhere."

The little rabbit stuck its head out of Hinata's shirt just under her chin and turned to glare at Naruto. Katara could have sworn the little thing stuck its tongue out at the boy from where he was now resting cozily between Hinata's breasts.

"Yeah, we were attacked while you were gone." Naruto reported glaring back at the offensive little rabbit. Then he seemed to think of something that made him happy and turned back to his master. Katara assumed it probably had something to do with Kiba's dog.

"I know I found the body on my way back. You nearly dropped a boulder on me as you were flying over by the way." Jiraiya said as he turned towards Aang.

"Oh, sorry." The monk offered sheepishly.

"I… killed him, apparently." Naruto said growing gloomy again.

"Don't worry, as a shinobi it's bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, I'm sure he's enjoying the afterlife." Jiraiya said distractedly as he glanced over in Hinata's direction where she was petting her new bunny rabbit.

"What are you going to name him Hinata?" Katara asked.

"Flopsy!" Aang cried happily.

"Bunny." Sokka suggested sagely.

"Stupid." Naruto said glaring at the rabbit again.

"How about Akinori?" Jiraiya said seriously. Aang seemed to stiffen at the suggestion.

"That sounds like a good name." Hinata said happily extracting the little rabbit and holding it up so she could look him in the face. "I'll call you Akinori."

"Well, now that you kids are doing playing, let's eat." Jiraiya announced. "And I have good news."

"You found my people?" Aang asked excitedly.

"No, I got the phone number of this totally hot chick!" Jiraiya said excitedly. Everyone stared at him for a moment before he added, "Oh, and I got a lead on our target too."

**A/N: I wish I had a good excuse for not replying to all my wonderful reviews thus far, but honestly it's because I'm addicted to Warcraft. If any of you happen to play on the Cairne server come look me up in the Alliance. Clan Arandel is my guild. Maybe I can write Warcraft stories...**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello all, I hope you like the latest chapter. I should be getting close to the conclusion soon. For anyone who might be interested, I have not seen the end of season three of Avatar: The Last Airbender yet. I am waiting until this story is complete so that the ending doesn't change the story I have written. As usual, I do not own Avatar, Naruto, or any of those little rocks with inspirational words etched on them that you're supposed to carry around in your pocket.**

**Chapter 13.**

"So where will we be heading today?" Aang asked sleepily as he approached the campfire where Jiraiya sat smoking.

"Not far, we're close to Yuu now so we need not rush. I thought it better for everyone to be well rested in case we met with resistance from him." Jiraiya said as we watched Akinori pulling Hinata's pack out of her tent to rest a few feet from the entrance.

"Resistance; all we have to do is ask him where my people are!" Aang said desperately.

"Yes, but he's still a wanted man with powerful enemies. Interrogation is synonymous with torture to men like that. I do not expect him to come quietly." The old sage replied as the little rabbit then hopped over to the campfire to rotate a pot of hot stew Katara had made so that the handle was sticking out further.

"Where is everyone?" Aang asked.

"The boys decided to scout the area, while the girls headed off to bathe." Jiraiya said tiredly as the little rabbit then ran over to a tree where it managed to leap up to a low branch. The little mammal then set to work gnawing as fast as he could.

"Maybe he's a ninja rabbit." Aang said uncomfortably as he followed Jiraiya's gaze.

"Must be." Jiraiya said neutrally.

"We're back." Katara announced as the girls came back to camp wearing towels and headed for their tents. "Thanks for offering to wash our clothes while we were gone."

"My pleasure." Jiraiya said happily with as much dignity as a man with a nosebleed could muster.

The girls disappeared into their tents, and Aang wiped his own nose when he heard the sounds of Naruto's noisy return. Hinata peeked out of her tent and pulled her pack a couple of feet closer to get something and then disappeared back into the flap.

Jiraiya and Aang exchanged glances for a moment to see what would unfold.

"I'm BAAAA…" Naruto exclaimed as he landed on a branch that suddenly went 'snap' under his weight. The blonde ninja tumbled to the ground and then staggered from the bushes turning backwards to see what happened when his heel caught on a furry little woodland creature lying in wait and he tumbled backwards onto his back. The little fur ball then hopped up onto his face where it left him gift of some droppings on his face before jumping away.

Snarling, Naruto rolled over to swipe at the creature, when he struck the handle of a pot of hot stew left from breakfast which splashed directly into his face. "HOT!" Naruto cried as he jumped up with scalding carrots dripping off his cheeks.

Half blinded, he charged his hairy nemesis as his foe retreated for the safety of Hinata's tent. Naruto then darted after the offensive little rabbit and tripped over Hinata's pack. Had it been closer he would have landed firmly on his face. This time however, he had built up enough speed to be sent careening into the tent after the little beast.

"NARUTO!" Hinata screamed from inside the tent.

"I'M SORRY HINATA!" Naruto shrieked as he burst back out of the tent in a panic; sullied, bloodied, and muddied, with a ferocious rabbit clamped angrily onto his buttocks chewing for all he was worth.

"The best laid plans of rabbits and men…" Jiraiya quoted as Naruto ran off towards the river. Whether it was to wash his face or drown Akinori, no one knew.

"We're back." Sokka said as he and Zuko returned. "Anything happen while we were gone?"

Jiraiya once again exchanged a glance with Aang before he replied. "Nope, everything's pretty normal here."

* * *

_They're still there._ Yuu thought as he turned down another side street. His followers had been following him for an hour now. Yuu had led them on a slow trek that had looked like a meandering stroll through busy marketplaces, ostensibly so he could look at the goods when in actuality he was ducking and dodging across street after street trying to lose the old man and the Konoha ninja with him.

_The old man must be Jiraiya, and that would make the young one the Kyuubi, but how are they keeping up with me?_ The rogue ninja thought as he turned a corner to jump a couple of streets over. Every time he did though, they'd be right back on his tail in moments.

_They must have someone watching me, but where? I would have seen… It must be a Hyuuga. They could track me and send back word to them about where I am. If that's the case…_ Yuu stopped in his tracks. He looked ahead and saw his destination. A deserted old warehouse; perfect for taking someone down quietly without anyone interfering, lay at the end of the street he was on. Yuu considered turning and heading back toward more people. With others around it might be easier to take a hostage if necessary to get away. Instead he headed for the empty warehouse. If a Hyuuga was tracking him, then he'd only be tracked again until he was captured. No, he was best off confronting his enemy hoping that he could kill the white eyed freaks of nature and then make his escape.

Yuu calmly walked over to the door and entered the building and flicked on a light. He then walked to center of the room and waited.

"This IS where you were steering me wasn't it?" Yuu said to the room in general.

"I was hoping for a couple more feet to the right." A young man in blue said stepping out from behind some crates.

"Sorry." Yuu said in mock apology before taking a couple of steps to the right.

"It worked!" Naruto cried as he and his master entered the building.

"Of course." A second Jiraiya said as he and a second Naruto entered by a different door.

Their illusion dropped to reveal not one, but two Hyuuga shinobi that had been following him. "You nearly blew our cover." The young man admonished the girl that was with him.

"She pinched my bottom!" The girl complained.

"Men don't slap women that pinch their bottom and wink at them." The male Hyuuga continued.

"Unless they're into that kind of thing." Jiraiya mentioned.

"Look, can we get on with this; I have things to do, people to kill…" Yuu said wearily.

"We need to talk you, um… Yuu." The young man in blue said seriously.

"Sorry, not in the mood to talk to Konoha ninja today. Try back next week, I might find time to pencil you in." Yuu said offhandedly. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Yuu!" Another young man said stepping from behind another stack of crates.

"Aang! You're supposed to remain hidden!" The young man in blue scolded.

"It's not going to work otherwise Sokka. I don't want this to end in bloodshed." Aang said earnestly.

"Oh, I think bloodshed is precisely how it's going to end." Yuu said as he chucked the kunai he'd pulled towards the female Hyuuga.

The girl ducked quickly, but Yuu wasn't looking to kill yet. He only wanted a momentary distraction. Dropping low, he launched himself towards the male Hyuuga and pulled a sword.

As he'd hoped the boy's attention had diverted to the girl just long enough to get in close and bring his sword around in a thrusting arc toward the eyes of the shinobi.

The ninja was young and quick, spinning in a defensive stance that deflected his blow and Yuu quickly followed the thrust to come between the two Hyuuga fighters.

Naruto charged forward to protect the girl but Yuu was closer. He spun, driving his sword into the girl's chest and then ducked under her clansmen's counterattack.

Yuu's celebration was cut short though as there was a loud pop, and his sword was found sticking out of a block of wood that dropped to the ground. _Great, substitution technique._

The two young men then set about on him, Naruto jumping in to attack while the Hyuuga circled looking for an opening. The young blonde's attacks were crude, but powerful, pressing the renegade back. He needed to kill this Hyuuga and find the other one that was most likely hidden nearby if he was to escape.

"Now Neji!" Naruto cried rolling aside as Yuu brought his attention back to the young Hyuuga just in time to see him launch his attack at point blank range.

Strike after strike landed hitting Yuu's chakra points, crippling the flow. The force of the attack sent him flailing backwards as the Hyuuga pressed on until he stood over him.

"My eyes can see your chakra points and neutralize them. You're powerless now, give up." Neji said arrogantly above the downed ninja.

"I see." Yuu said panting. "Well, tell me. Did you see THIS COMING?"

Yuu brought his hand around in a broad swipe, molding the air to his will as he struck. Neji recoiled attempting to dodge backwards from the blow and would have succeeded but for the reach of the air sword that formed in Yuu's hand as it sliced deep into his midsection.

"Airbender!" Aang cried as Neji crumpled to the ground, his blood spraying across the floor of the warehouse.

"Brother!" The young woman cried finally showing herself from where she'd been hiding.

"Careful, Naruto his air techniques are similar to your Rasengan! And he doesn't need chakra to use air!" Jiraiya shouted as he surged forward to join the fight.

"Call it a family gift." Yuu said as he locked up with the master and student. From the corner of his eye he could see two girls trying to reach the wounded Hyuuga.

"Now BOTH of you die!" He screamed as he threw an exploding tag at the pair of white eyed shinobi.

Yuu watch the explosion engulf the three of them only to see it then halt and then compress as the air around it shimmered. He glanced over to see the boy from earlier swinging his arms around in the same style as that of his clan, containing the explosion and fire within a globe and compressing it.

Yuu barely dodged a strike from Jiraiya and was quickly losing hope of escape since he hadn't killed either Hyuuga yet and he was now up against one of the master's old teammates and his pupil. A fast explosion of air around him pushed the two combatants back so that he could get some breathing room while he started making the hand signs for his jutsu.

"I don't need chakra for this one either." Yuu said with sadistic glee.

"Get him!" Naruto yelled, but Jiraiya grabbed him and pulled him down as two sharp spikes lanced through the air where he'd been standing.

Yuu shifted and contorted as he activated the seal; his master's 'gift' for helping him. Orochimaru had a flare for the poetic so when his follower had shown so much affinity for air he had made a seal that followed suit.

"How do you like me now?" Yuu squawked, his face contorting around his new beak. His sharp quill-like feathers protruded from his arms which looked like vestigial wings. His talons extended through the open toes of his sandals, and he could feel the power of the demon seal flooding through him.

The young boy, Aang, stared at him in horror and quickly began retching uncontrollably. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Me? My master did this for me in exchange for my service. Now you are all going to die." Yuu crowed as he curled himself into a ball and flexed all of his muscles.

"Everybody down!" Jiraiya yelled as he hauled his pupil up from the floor and surrounded both he and the boy with his thick white mane of hair.

Yuu's quills lanced out in every direction, sending sharp shards into and through the walls letting little shafts of light penetrate the area. As he looked up to survey his handiwork he could see quills imbedded in a globe of ice surrounding the Hyuugas and the young girl. Around the boy, the quills hung in the air as if confused as to what to do.

Yuu rolled aside as a rain of fireballs scorched the floor where he'd been standing. Yet another young warrior joined the fray, charging in with two swords raised. "NOW TOPH!" He cried as he swung his blades at the renegade.

Yuu glanced around quickly to see where the next attack would be launched from when the floor exploded beneath him in a shower of dirt and debris as the earth reached up to grab his legs. Anchored, he still managed to duck under the strokes of the swordsman and send him to the ground with a nasty slice from his sword of air and still had time to duck as something whizzed past his ear.

Yuu turned his angry gaze on the young man in blue, prepared to end his life when the young man stopped and smiled at him broadly with a friendly wave. That was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

* * *

"Why does everyone forget that boomerangs come back?" Sokka asked conversationally as he stood over Yuu's unconscious body. "Not that I'm complaining mind you, it's just that no one ever remembers the humble boomerang."

"Just our luck I guess." Zuko said wincing from the pain as Katara tended to his wounds. Hinata was already helping a weak Neji back to his feet.

"This guy turned out to be quite a handful. No wonder no one has ever managed to capture him." Jiraiya said happily, as he knelt down to tie up the rogue.

"What is that thing?" Aang said in disgust in voice that sounded like it was prepared to turn solid and come out any second.

"It's a cursed seal. Orochimaru uses them on some of his minions to grant them more power." Jiraiya said looking at the markings on Yuu's body.

"What kind of monster would do that?" Aang said going into dry heaves, his lunch long since having been spent.

"What's wrong Aang? It's just a mark." Katara asked her young companion in concern.

"No, it's an abomination. I'm a bridge between this and the spirit world. There's a spirit in there, an evil one. He's using its power while it feeds on his soul." Aang said looking at his kin like he had just discovered he came from a clan of snot suckers.

"Orochimaru's depravity knows no end." Jiraiya said knowingly. "If you knew what he'd done to some of the villages children…"

"Hold him down." Aang ordered resolutely as if trying to come to grips with his stomach.

"He's pretty well tied." Naruto noted.

"It won't be enough." Aang said darkly as he stepped over to the alien airbender. "I'm going to destroy that spirit."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya in shock, but Jiraiya just nodded. "I'll bind him with my jutsu."

Aang sat down cross legged in front of Yuu's body. "Everyone else needs to leave."

A glance from Jiraiya silenced any objections, and the rest of the group filed out obediently. Sokka looked back at the building as they left. It had grown dark inside and everything was deathly quiet. He'd seldom seen Aang so morbid.

"What do you think he's going to do?" Naruto asked the water tribe warrior.

"I don't know. But I do know that when they come out of there, we'd better not ask."

"That guy didn't have any chakra; does this mean that he's an airbender too?" Neji was asking as he managed to straighten himself without aid from Hinata.

"Possibly. I hope that the rest of Aang's people aren't that hostile towards us." Katara said hopefully.

Sokka glanced at his sister. He knew her feelings for Aang, and knew what other airbenders would mean to the future of the nomads. Still with this being the only one they had found so far, it did not bode well. The young warrior decided to keep his misgivings to himself. He didn't want to crush his sister's hopes, especially since he didn't really know anything else to go on.

When Jiraiya emerged with a limp but definitely human Yuu slung over his shoulder, the group didn't bother asking questions. Aang was ashen faced and looked more determined than ever.

"Where now Aang?" Sokka asked gently.

"North." The avatar replied with grim conviction.

**A/N: For anyone who cares, I will most likely not be replying to reviews anymore. I simply get too many to put in a response that doesn't sound like it's made to be repeated thirty times. This really sucks for me because I get some really heartfelt reviews. In either case, I want you all to know how much your reviews are appreciated. Your valuable feedback has helped me improve (I hope) from where I was when I began, and will be invaluable as I launch into my projects for published works. But enough of my babbling, see you next update. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for this update being so late. My grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago and I've just now gotten back onto my writing schedule. As usual, I do not own Naruto or Avatar: The Last Airbender, however I did inherit my grandfather's ring. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 14.**

Yuu felt like his insides had been ripped out and then put back in upside down. Fire danced all across his skin like he was being slowly roasted in a rotisserie. His training kicked in and he calmed himself, opting first to listen to his surroundings before letting on that he was awake.

"What does everyone want for supper?"

"Rabbit Stew."

"Just some vegetables for me please."

"Actually, Rabbit Stew _does_ sound good."

"Sokka!"

"What? I was just agreeing with Naruto."

Yuu ventured an eyelid open just the barest fraction to survey his captors. The little group of ninja were gathered around a fire laughing and carrying on as if nothing in the world was the matter. The girls gossiped and the boys bragged like all young people do, and there next to them sat Jiraiya like a proud grandfather watching over his clan.

Yuu groaned inwardly at the old hermit's presence. Without him there he might have been able to escape, but the odds of killing the Hyuugas, escaping the ninja, and living through the experience dropped dramatically with his presence. He was probably also the reason that he couldn't feel his seal anymore. It was mostly likely sealed itself, or worse.

One of the young people caught his attention and Yuu studied the boy, Aang. Something about him didn't settle right with him. He recognized him from somewhere.

"Our prisoner appears to be awake." One of the young girls reported. Yuu quickly closed his eyes hoping to fool his captors.

"He still looks asleep to me." The young man Sokka said.

"His heart sped up a few moments ago, just like when you wake up. It also jumped when I said something. Trust me, his eyes might be closed, but he's awake." The young woman said knowingly.

_Need to remember that with this one._ Yuu thought as he slowly opened his eyes to see all the young people staring at him. "I have nothing to say to any of you."

"Please, I haven't even started interrogating you yet." Jiraiya said, miffed. "I have yet to have anyone resist my interrogations."

"His propositions on the other hand…" Naruto cut in.

"Work with me boy." Jiraiya admonished angrily before turning back on their captive. "We are not interested in Orochimaru. We want to know where your clan lives."

"I have nothing to say to any of you." Yuu recited stubbornly.

"I guess it'll have to be the hard way then." Jiraiya said sighing. He reached over for his pack.

"Are you going to torture him?" Aang asked incredulously.

"That's the plan." Jiraiya said seriously. "You kids might want to go find something to do, it's better that you not see this."

"I can't allow this!" Aang cried desperately. "There's got to be another way. I can't allow you to inflict pain on him to coerce information out of him."

"Oh, I'm not going to use pain." Jiraiya said wickedly. "I find this works just as well. I've used it any number of times." The old sage pulled a feather out of his pack. It was long and fluffy.

"You're going to tickle him until he confesses?" Aang asked, unsure of himself.

"It always works." Jiraiya said proudly. A buzzing noise came from his pack and he quickly slapped his hand down on it to silence the noise.

"What was that, another one of your interrogation devices?" Aang insisted dubiously.

"Um, sort of, but I don't think I'll be using it on him. That only works with questions like… well nevermind." Jiraiya said evasively. Yuu _sincerely_ hoped he was wrong about what was in that pack knowing the old pervert and _sincerely_ hoped he wouldn't have to endure that one.

"That… that…" The young girl that had heard him awaken stuttered. She seemed visibly shaken and her eye was twitching uncontrollably. A deep blush was also creeping across her cheeks. "If I… if that…"

"What is it Toph?" Another young woman asked in concern.

"NOTHING!" Toph shouted suddenly. "Time to go girls!"

The blind young woman locked arms with the other two girls and the three were gone from the camp as fast as the earth could move them.

"What was that all about?" Sokka asked no one in particular.

"Toph is sensitive to… vibrations, right?" Jiraiya asked slowly.

"Yeah, it's how she sees the world." Aang said in confusion. "It still doesn't explain why she tore out of here so fast. I've never seen her face that red before either."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Probably nothing, you boys run along, I'll have better directions to your clan in just a little while. And I promise Aang, I'm not going to hurt him."

Placated, Aang and the rest of the boys left, Yuu watched them go and then turned back to the old man he'd be spending the next few hours with. "You don't honestly think a little tickling is going to make me talk do you?"

Jiraiya's face seemed to sag as the old man began to look his age. "Sadly, no I don't. I hated to lie to the boy, but some things are best left to the adults." Jiraiya said as he put the feather back in his pack and pulled out a small pouch containing a vial, syringe, a small knife, and an assortment of rather uncomfortable looking pins. "Just out of curiosity, do you have any sort of heart condition or physical ailment you'd like to tell me about before we begin?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Yuu said defiantly.

* * *

"So what are we going to do?" Aang said uneasily looking back towards the camp. None of them had heard any screaming, but then they hadn't heard any laughing either. Nothing but an eerie quiet seemed to come from the place where they were camped.

"Whatever we do, I think we should wait until Jiraiya comes to get us instead of heading back to camp." Sokka said looking back with his brow knit in concentration.

"Why?" His young friend asked.

"It… would only ruin the interrogation if we barged in." The water tribe warrior said quickly to his friend. He had few illusions about the reality of the world, but that didn't mean he had to expose Aang to it. "Besides, we've got work to do."

"What kind of work?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"We still need to find out if Toph likes romantic stuff or not." Sokka reminded him. "We're trying to make sure Toph doesn't fall for Neji."

"Just be yourself." Naruto recommended.

"I'm not trying to win her Naruto; I'm trying to make her hate me." Neji snorted.

"Like I said, just be you." Naruto said with a grin.

"There are days I really hate you, you know that?" Neji said seriously.

"You don't have to worry though; Toph is already in love with someone else." Naruto said miserably.

"She is?!!" The three boys blurted in unison. "Who?"

"Look, it's complicated." Naruto said in obvious distress. "I don't know why, but I think Toph loves… me."

"Naruto, I love you." Neji said as a look of profound relief washed over his face.

"Okay, now that was just plain creepy." Zuko said shivering.

"Yes, never do that again." Naruto said shivering. "Anyway, I don't know what to do about more than one girl liking me."

"Well, it seems that our original plan is still valid, we just need to change targets." Sokka said earnestly. "Instead of making sure she doesn't love Neji, we'll make sure she doesn't love Naruto."

"Does this still mean I have to go through with this silly love poetry routine?" Zuko whined.

"Yes, it does." Sokka admonished. "Naruto, can you get Hinata away from the girls, and Aang, since it's your day for training with Katara can you help us get Toph alone."

"Sure." Aang said helpfully.

"Great, now let's all get moving."

* * *

"So what did you want to talk to me about Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as Naruto led her away from the other girls. Getting Hinata alone was incredibly easy when Katara had taken over petting duties on Akinori. The last Naruto saw of the little fuzz ball he's been lying in her lap with his feet sticking in the air getting his belly scratched.

"I had some questions I wanted to ask you Hinata-chan, since you're a girl." Naruto said seriously finding a nice place for them to sit. "I have a problem and I don't know what to do."

"I'll help if I can." Hinata said shakily as she sat next to him.

"Hinata, I know you love me, and I'm glad you do, but all the things you were saying about knowing when you love someone…" Naruto began.

"You're not in love with me?" Hinata said sounding terrified.

"NO! It's not that. It's just that, I think that someone else might be in love with me too." Naruto said uneasily.

"So you know." Hinata said sadly.

"Yeah, I don't know what to do. I mean, I don't know the first thing about love. I don't know how to react." Naruto said miserably.

"I hate to say it, but I'm probably not the best person to be asking Naruto since I'm her rival for your love. I want to be fair, since I consider her a comrade, but I want you to love me too." Hinata said seriously

"So you can only love one person?" Naruto asked. "The pervy sage seems to always be going for three to four at a time."

"Those aren't real relationships Naruto. When someone finds that special someone, they want to keep them all to themselves, and know that person cares only for them. It makes them feel special. Sadly, it can also make them feel jealous and do silly things." Hinata explained gently.

"Oh, you mean like kissing another girl by accident?" Naruto asked thinking back on the talk he'd had with Toph when she'd confessed to him.

"You know about that?" Hinata squeaked, blushing.

"Yeah, Toph told me about it." Naruto said sheepishly. Realization dawned on Naruto that if Hinata knew about it too… she must have been the one Toph kissed.

"Naruto, can I ask _you_ a question?" Hinata asked timidly.

_Why is my nose bleeding?_ "I don't know how good my answer will be, but sure." Naruto said quietly wiping his lip.

"What do you think of her?" Hinata asked.

"She's a nice person deep down I guess." The blonde said thinking hard.

"Do you love her?" Hinata ventured softly

"No. I don't think I feel that way about her." Naruto said honestly.

Hinata seemed relieved and leaned up against Naruto making his hair stand in end and his pulse quicken. "Good, that's one problem solved at least. We can worry about how to tell Sakura when we get back to the village."

"Tell Sakura what?" Naruto asked in alarm.

"That you don't love her."

"I don't love Sakura?

"That's what you just said."

"I was talking about Toph."

"Why'd you think we were talking about Toph?"

"You said you kissed her."

"I kissed Sakura."

"You kissed Sakura too?!!" Naruto cried incredulously.

"No, I never kissed Toph, I only kissed Sakura. Toph must have been talking about someone else. Why's your nose bleeding?"

"It is?"

"Both nostrils." Hinata replied suspiciously. Naruto looked at Hinata in stark terror. It wasn't that she was scary it was that the idea of her crying because he had no idea how to handle this situation mortified him. "Naruto, do you love Sakura?"

The silence hung between the two of them as Naruto struggled to bring words to his reluctant lips. Finally, Hinata just sighed and wrapped her arms around his chest gently pushing him back onto the ground. "I guess it's enough to know that I don't have TWO rivals for you affection."

Naruto didn't know what else to do so he pulled Hinata close and wrapped his arms around her. She lay there on top of him warm against his chest and again he felt the feelings of joy and happiness that seemed to fill his heart. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, I've cared about Sakura for a long time. I always thought she loved Sasuke though so I tried to hide it all away inside. Now though, if she does love me I'm more confused than ever. All I can say is that I do know one thing."

"What's that?" Hinata said as if on the verge of tears.

"I do love you." Naruto said pulling her up along his body so that he could kiss her. The two of them lay there together for a while just enjoying the warmth of someone next to them they cared about.

"I've got a lot to learn about love." Naruto said in awestruck wonder as the epiphany sent neurons in his brain to firing which spawned so many hamsters that even the Kyuubi couldn't keep the wheels from turning. "You probably wouldn't want the pervy old sage training me either."

"I've seen one of his books that Neji keeps hidden in his room." Hinata said tracing the hard lines of Naruto's chest muscles with her finger. "Maybe a _little_ training…"

**A/N: Again, I am sorry for the delay in posting. I'm hoping to draw this story to a close within the next three to four chapters. I never quite know how these things are going to work out ahead of time, it just sort of evolves. I'll cover the rest of the "Toph Debacle" next update.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you like the latest update. I would like to thank all of you who expressed your condolences at the loss of my grandfather in your reviews. I am a fortunate writer to have such people to read my works. Thank you, and on with the story! As usual, I do not own Avatar or Naruto.**

**Chapter 15.**

"I'm telling you this isn't going to work." Zuko griped as he held up the large scroll Sokka had written.

"It'll be fine, just read what I wrote down, and Toph will never know the difference." Sokka said dismissively as he huddled in the bushes. They'd sent Aang in to get Katara, and Naruto had already left with Hinata, leaving Toph alone and unguarded.

"It's going to sound rehearsed, and are we forgetting the fact that she already knows I'm spoken for? Do you have any idea what my girlfriend would say if…" Zuko ranted.

"If what, she managed to breach the boundaries of time and space to follow us here to this world and caught you spouting love poetry to another girl?" Sokka said angrily.

"It could happen." Zuko said looking over his shoulder as if to dodge a dagger thrown from the shadows.

"He's sunk." Neji said from where he lounged against a rock. "His woman already has him cowed. No woman is ever going to do that to me."

"I'll tell Tenten you said that." Zuko threatened darkly.

Despite his best efforts, Neji flinched. He felt a little less comfortable too as if something was digging into the middle of his back where he was sitting. "Alright, what do we need to do, I mean who cares if she's in love with Naruto?"

"Toph doesn't belong in this world. None of us do. She needs to come back with us and the only way we're going to be able to do that is if we make absolutely sure she's not in love with anyone here. If she loves Naruto we need to find out and stop it." Sokka explained.

"Still Sokka, you're the only one that could possibly manage to read this stuff right. If I do it, she's going to know I'm reading it off a scroll." Zuko pleaded. "Why can't _you_ do it?"

Sokka stared at the two other young men for a few minutes. "Alright, I'll do it. Just keep an eye out to watch her reactions will you? We really need to know what makes her tick so we can sabotage any sort of romance between her and Naruto."

"Not a problem." Neji said confidently as he stretched out on the ground. "I'll be able to follow your conversation from here, don't worry about a thing."

Sokka nodded and tucked his scroll into his belt before setting out resolutely in Toph's direction. Neji leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment reassured that his days as a bachelor were confirmed. Thoughts of Tenten crept into his mind. She was a comrade and had lately been acting more… possessive. Neji contemplated the possibility, however remote, that he might… ridiculous. Neji sat up from his spot to look around for Zuko when he saw the young man crumpled into a heap next to him.

Neji didn't even have time to move his hands before his world exploded in pain.

* * *

Sokka walked slowly up on the place where Toph had been bathing earlier. He made no attempt to hide himself as Toph would hear him coming from further away than he would be able to see and that she'd tell him to stop if she wasn't dressed.

At least, that's what he thought would happen until he stepped onto the banks of the small river and found her waist deep in water and naked. The moonlight from the rising full moon made the pale white skin of her back glow.

"I… I… I'm sorry Toph! I'll come back later!" Sokka cried as he spun on his heels ready to make a break for it before boulders started flying. The next phrase stopped him in his tracks though.

"I heard you coming." Toph said quietly.

"Oh." Sokka muttered, unsure of how to proceed. "I was hoping we might have a moment alone."

"Sure, why don't you join me?" Toph said as she ran Katara's comb through her hair as she bathed. "It's not like I can see you."

Sokka gulped, and tried to get a grip on his nerves. Still remembering his mission he stripped down to his loincloth and took a step toward the water. He then looked at the scroll in his hand. Tossing it down to his clothes he stepped into the slightly cold water and began wading in.

"The only girl I've ever bathed with is Katara and that was when we were kids." Sokka remarked conversationally as he struggled to remember all the carefully crafted words he'd written down.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we could have thought of ourselves as kids, isn't it?" Toph murmured as she washed her arms. "Could you get my back? I can't reach back there, and Katara left with Aang earlier."

"Uh, sure." Sokka said delicately as he waded over. Memories of the jibing that had gone on with Zuko and Neji making him start to wonder if his own girlfriend might ever find out about this.

"Sokka, do you ever think about Yue?" Toph asked suddenly.

The water tribe warrior's hand froze in place as he stopped to glance up at the full moon. "All the time."

"Does it change the way you feel about Suki?" The blind earthbender asked as she continued to groom herself.

"No, not really. I loved Yue. But now I love Suki." Sokka said wondering exactly where he'd lost control of the situation. "But what I wanted to talk to you about is…"

"I'm not in love with Naruto." Toph said bluntly.

"No, I came here to talk to you about… you're not in love with Naruto?" Sokka said in surprise.

"Yeah, I got rid of Zuko and Neji so we could have a little privacy for this. I had some things I needed to tell you and I didn't want anyone getting in the way." Toph mentioned as she lifted her head to the wind.

Sokka's mind reeled as he tried to figure out exactly what was going on. "If you knew what we were talking about then why didn't you just say something?"

"Because…" Toph whispered before she spun around and before he could react, began to kiss him passionately. When she finally broke the kiss, he noticed for the first time that there were tears in her eyes and from the tracks leading down her face he could tell that they'd been flowing for some time.

"Everything is so perfect. The smell of the river and the flowers, the feel of the breeze on my face and the sand between my toes, this is just the way I'd always hoped it would be when I finally confessed to someone how much I loved them. Please Sokka, I know you don't have the same feelings for me, and I know you love Suki, but for now just please read to me the things you wrote on that stupid scroll and let me pretend that this perfect moment really happened." Toph sobbed into his chest.

Dumbfounded Sokka wrapped his arms around the young girl's, no, young _woman's_ shoulders and pulled her close as she cried. "I can't do that Toph."

"Why?" Toph demanded of the man holding her in his arms. "You were ready to do it a minute ago when it meant finding out how I felt. What's so different now?"

"Those words won't work here." Sokka explained gently. "They were superficial and phony and I'm sorry I wrote them down. What you need to know right now is what really is in my heart."

"Don't tease me Sokka; you already said you love Suki." Toph murmured into his chest.

"You're right, I do." Sokka softly whispered. "But I also told you that I loved Yue. I _do_ care about you Toph; I could even say that I love you. Whether or not I'm with Suki isn't going to change that. Just like I'm sure Yue, wherever she is, still loves me. Just as I'm sure, when you find someone else, you'll still think of me."

"This isn't making me feel any better." Toph sulked.

Sokka risked a short chuckle. "I know. It didn't help me either when I lost Yue, but it _is_ the truth. I'm sorry I was such a bonehead for not realizing what you felt before now."

"It's okay." Toph said sighing. "I'm pretty good at hiding how I feel."

"Better than Katara and Aang are at hiding anyway." Sokka said with a smile. "I wonder how long they've been up there."

"You'd think he'd realize by now I can hear the racket those balls make that he rides around on." The blind earthbender said smiling up at him. "I guess we should get out of here before we turn into prunes."

"Maybe just a little while longer." Sokka said with a grin.

"You think Aang's enjoying himself?" Toph asked.

"No, I think a fish just swam away with my loincloth."

"Actually… it was mud." The young girl said behind a blushing grin.

* * *

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Aang whispered the young woman perched in his lap.

"I can't hear much other than the wind." Katara reported.

_I can't hear much for the beating of my heart in my chest._ Aang thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around Katara's waist a little tighter to keep her from falling.

"Do you think they've seen us?" Aang asked seriously.

"Yeah, I'm sure Toph has been watching us the entire time." Katara shot back smartly.

"You know what I mean."

"I can't tell, but this is just so romantic, I wish Sokka wasn't seeing Suki right now." Katara said with a sniffle.

"You mean you don't like Suki?"

"No, I mean if their situations were reversed I'd be wishing Sokka wasn't seeing Toph. It's all just so heartbreaking." Katara said putting her head against Aang's shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck tighter.

_Hooray for heartbreak._ Aang thought privately. He was also quite certain he'd never understand girls. "I'm sure they'll be able to work things out. We should leave them alone." Aang said with a pang of guilt for having ratted out his friends.

"Affairs of the heart aren't always that easily resolved." Katara lectured.

"Tell me about it." Aang said unhappily.

Aang could feel Katara stiffen in his arms. "Maybe we _should_ leave." She said quietly.

Aang turned his sphere around and drifted back toward the little clearing they'd started from. He reluctantly set Katara down on the ground and then slipped off the cushion of air he had been riding to stand uncomfortably next to her.

"Aang…"

"Katara, did I ever tell you about the training the guru gave me?" Aang interjected.

"A little."

"Before I could realize the avatar state, I had to learn to let go of everything that tied me to our world in order to protect it. I found that there was one thing that I never could let go of though. I tried to let go of you but I couldn't. I tried during the fight with Azula, but she shot me before I had the chance to fully let go. Katara, I don't think I can do this. How can I be the father of the new air nomad race if I can't bring myself to do what I have to do?" Aang cried as he turned away from the woman he loved.

Gentle arms hugged him close as Aang felt Katara's warm embrace against his back. "We'll find a way."

"I could recommend a few if you'd like." Jiraiya said interrupting their moment.

"Do you mind?" Aang said sourly. "This is hard for us."

"Harder than it has to be." Jiraiya assured him. "It's not like you're dying, you just have to father a child from another woman."

"But I want to be with Katara." Aang shot back angrily.

"Then do so." Jiraiya said with a shrug. "Your world needs a father for their race, not a husband."

"I can't do that! It goes against everything I believe in as a monk!" Aang raged. "Not to mention how that would make Katara feel having to see me with some other girl!"

"What do you mean some other girl?" Jiraiya queried mirthlessly.

"Well, whatever nomad girl I have to marry."

"Ever think you might not be looking at just one girl?" Jiraiya countered.

Aang recoiled as if struck. "What are you talking about?"

"What I mean is; you have to repopulate your people. You aren't going to be able to do that with a conventional family of one or two children." Jiraiya said patiently.

"You mean I'm going to have to run around like some sort of… some sort of…" Aang sputtered.

"What I mean is," Jiraiya interjected, "that some things are never quite as simple as they appear. You have a notion in your mind of how things are going to have to be, but they aren't necessarily what will happen or even what needs to happen. Just think on these things Aang, and when the pathway presents itself, you'll know."

"Whatever you decide Aang, I'll support you. And I'll always stay by your side." Katara offered worriedly.

"Let's leave him alone for a little while." The old man recommended. "I came because I needed your help."

"You hurt him." Aang accused the old lecher, his frustration lashing out at a convenient target. "You hurt that ninja we captured, even though you said you wouldn't."

"No, he's sleeping calmly now. For those who are resistant to my tickling methods I find it useful to use acupuncture instead. I use it to deaden their nerves so that they can't feel anything and then use genjutsu to make them see all the things that I _could_ be doing to them. It's more of a scare tactic really, but terribly effective. Often times, one's own mind and the horrible things he imagines are worse than anything anyone else can use to torture you." Jiraiya said wisely. "And I did learn where we need to go now by the way."

"Then why do you need me?" The healer asked in confusion.

"Well, you see, it seems someone hit Neji and Zuko with these rocks…"

**A/N: I just watched the last episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I must say they did a good job of it, despite my being a devout Zutaran. I've had the episodes on DVD for some time now but just didn't watch them until now. I'm so pathetic…**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I feel so embarrassed. I forgot to post this last week. I can be such a bird brain. Enjoy, and as usual I do not own Avatar or ****Naruto. I do however get owned regularly at video games with my small nephews.**

**Chapter 16.**

"Aw, come on Toph, I thought we discussed this." Sokka whined as he jumped from a pinch to his rear.

"We did, but since Suki isn't here I figured I'd have some fun harassing you." Toph replied impishly.

"If you two lovebirds are quite done, we need to get moving. We'll be at the air nomad camp soon." Zuko said disdainfully.

"Aw, is Zuzu feeling neglected?" Toph said rubbing up against the arrogant firebender.

"That kind of thing doesn't work on me Toph; I've had girls throwing themselves at… HEY QUIT COPPING A FEEL!" Zuko yelped as he too jumped and skittered away from the young woman.

"That girl is merciless." Jiraiya noted as he went back to scribbling in his notebook.

"You should try being trained by her." Aang agreed as he watched Toph chase the boys around the campsite. "She'll get tired of messing with them in a couple of days. I hope."

Aang looked back at their prisoner and sighed. They had finally managed to get close to where the air nomads were camping and with each passing day he'd become more despondent. He had wracked his brain trying to find a way to do what he knew he had to do without screwing up with Katara, his beliefs, his world, and most importantly an undisclosed number of air nomad women.

"Yuu, when will we reach the camp?" Aang asked the ninja.

"Bite me, Avatar." Yuu spat back at him defiantly.

"That can be arranged." Jiraiya said reaching for his bag.

"Today, probably around late afternoon if they're traveling with their usual speed." The rogue ninja said cowering from the large man. Jiraiya nodded and returned to writing in his book.

"My last day to figure something out…" Aang said to himself.

"You have my sympathy, all those young women you'll have to sleep with; yours is truly a horrible fate." Yuu sneered.

"Shut up, what would you know about being the last airbender, the only way you were able to use airbending is because you had a demon locked inside you." Aang retorted angrily.

"Yeah, a demon you destroyed. Pity, I might have been able to help you with all those pretty young girls. You know the elder has been keeping them for you." Yuu said driving his barb in a little deeper. "He's been preaching to us for a hundred years about how you were going to come save us and take us home. I was happy when I ran away just to be rid of his blathering."

"You mean he was one of the people Roku brought here?" Aang asked incredulously.

"Yeah, he was just a small boy, but he was there." Yuu admitted. "He'll be overjoyed to see you… I guess."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked uneasily.

"You'll just have to see for yourself… Avatar." The criminal said as he turned away. Aang looked at his back. He hadn't really given much thought to what it would be like to reunite with his people. Would some of them hate him for their exile?

Aang finished gathering his things and set out from the camp with his companions in silence. As they neared the place where they figured the camp would be, everyone one became quiet as Aang became more apprehensive.

When they finally found the camp, it wasn't exactly what Aang had envisioned. A small circle of perhaps twenty large tents were clustered around a central pavilion. People were coming and going about their daily routines as if nothing were at all out of the ordinary. They didn't look like an exiled people waiting for deliverance.

As the group approached, a couple of stout young men appeared. They weren't threatening, but looked like they could get that way in a heartbeat if necessary. The term 'guards' would have implied a formality that didn't really apply, instead they just looked like a couple of the bigger lads that had fallen in to the practice of greeting friendly newcomers and knocking unfriendly ones upside the head.

"Hello there travelers, is there something we can help you with?" The older of the two replied.

"Yeah, you could come over here, bend over and kiss my rear Gou." Yuu said acidly.

"You aren't allowed back in the camp Yuu. The elder forbid you to return." Gou said flatly.

"Trust me, it wasn't by choice." Yuu said holding up his bound hands.

"I need to speak to your elder." Aang said seriously.

"And who might you be?" Gou asked politely

"THIS," Yuu said with mock grandeur, "is our long awaited DELIVERER. THIS is what the elder has waited a hundred years to see. THIS is our AVATAR!"

Gou looked at Yuu with a venomous stare and seemed ready to give him a good whack across the ear. "I mean seriously, who are you people?"

Aang bowed his head as he felt everyone looking at him. It was his moment. "He's… telling the truth. I'm Avatar Aang, and I need to see the elder."

Gou stood there looking at him like he was a ridiculous little boy who was part of some grand joke. Which was odd since that was exactly how Aang felt, only in this case the joke was on him.

"Gou, he _is_ dressed like the elder. We should at least go tell him." The other young man said uneasily.

Gou nodded and the other young man darted away to report what visitors had arrived. Gou stood there looking at the group with only a little less contempt than that he directed at Yuu. When his friend returned he was grim. "The elder said bring them in."

"If you prefer, we can stay here." Jiraiya offered. "Aang is the one that has business with your elder. We can wait."

Gou nodded and stepped aside motioning for Aang to proceed. While Aang fell in behind his friend, Gou followed behind keeping a watchful eye. Aang looked back to his friends and then prepared himself for the meeting with his destiny.

At the central pavilion, Gou opened the flap and stepped inside with him. All around the interior there were hangings and pictures of the air temple. In the center of it all a bent little old man sat quietly sipping his tea. "They tell me you have come here with Yuu claiming to be the avatar."

Aang swallowed and then bowed deeply to the old man. "Yes, I am Avatar Aang. I was sent by Avatar Roku to find you and bring you home."

"I see." The old man said looking up. "I am Ouga, elder of this tribe of the air nomads. You will forgive me if I am skeptical. Yuu was exiled from our village, and I must be wary of some sort of trick. Though I must admit that the point of such a thing escapes me, Yuu had no love for our way of life and I assumed he would never return."

"We had to capture him in order to find you." Aang explained.

"Very well, then I shall test you to see if you are avatar. Since coming here, there is one power of bending that the ninja of this world have not been able to emulate. There isn't a ninja alive that can fly with a glider. If you are the avatar, then fly." Ouga commanded quietly.

Aang actually felt somewhat relieved. "Sure."

Gou gingerly walked over to pick up the elder who was apparently too feeble to move and carried him out of the tent to follow Aang. Outside villagers had gathered around to watch what was going on. Aang proudly snapped his glider open and took to the skies. The feel of the air rushing past him made him feel free. It was a small blessing considering how trapped he'd felt over the past few days. He was sorely tempted to just keep on flying, but the last time he'd run away from his problems he'd caused one hundred years of suffering. Now he was here to end part of that suffering, and he couldn't turn away. Aang reluctantly landed his glider and closed the wings.

"Convinced?" Aang asked

Ouga made a quick motion with his hands and suddenly a stone was hurled at him by one of the villagers. Aang quickly ducked and snatched the stone from the air using his power and cast it away harmlessly. Another villager tossed a bucket of water at him. He froze it in mid-air and then shattered it, causing it to snow all around them. One final villager held up a torch like a circus performer and spewed fire at him. Smiling Aang took the fire and separated it into small balls which he then juggled.

"The… the avatar." Ouga whispered as he struggled free of Gou's gentle grip. The old man teetered towards Aang and would have fallen if Aang hadn't reached out and grabbed him. "It's you. It's really you!"

Ouga cried into Aang's chest. "We were certain that the fire nation had managed to kill you and end the cycle. After all this time we can go home!"

"Yeah, about that…" Aang said uneasily.

"Not here." Ouga said quickly regaining his composure. "Gou, bring me into the tent and let no one else in. Then send someone to bring me Yuu. We have much to discuss young Avatar."

"Yes elder." Gou agreed quietly. The dark look across his face made Aang nervous, but he obeyed. Aang and the elder were left in the tent while he went to fetch Yuu.

"Avatar, I am so glad to see you here." Ouga said as Gou left. "I fear I have failed you."

"What do you mean elder?" Aang asked in confusion.

"Since we came to this world, my father and I tried to keep everyone together and prepared for the journey home to be reunited with our people. After the first few years everyone began to despair believing all was lost and that the fire nation had won. They believed that we should make our new home here. We tried to get them to stay but over the years, they've left the village. There are so few now. To be honest, many here were hoping you would never return and that we would be able to go on as we have." Ouga explained.

"Like Yuu?" Aang said slowly.

"Yes. Like Yuu." Ouga said sadly. "Roku came to my father in a dream and told him that you were alive and that you were the last airbender left alive. Since that time, we have always tried to forbid our young people to marry outside the village, trying to rebuild our people and to be ready for the return. We've failed though. Yuu was one such failure. He loved a young girl who was one if this world's ninja, and when we forbid him to marry her, he ran away. After she died he tried to return to us, but we would not accept him. I have tried to preserve our way of life from the old world, but this world is so different from ours. They have things here that our people before could only ever dream of having. That's why I've kept moving to keep our people from becoming attached to this world and its inhabitants. I fear though that I've failed. There are only a few of us left now, and I think most of them are merely waiting for me to die so they can finally settle here somewhere."

"I see." Aang said emotionlessly as he pondered what he might do next. In one respect he was rather pleased, if his people did not want to return to his world he wouldn't have to worry about trying to find young women in this small village to bear his children. On the other hand, if they didn't return then he was going to fail miserably and the avatar cycle would be broken and his world would most likely lose its balance without someone to protect it.

Gou returned with Yuu in tow as the elder had commanded, and the elder tried to compose himself as he faced the renegade exile of his people. "Thank you Gou, you may leave us."

"But elder…"

"The avatar is here with us now. Yuu will not harm me." Ouga said shooing the large young man away.

After he was gone Yuu chuckled and plopped down on the floor of the tent to relax. "Yeah, why should I harm you old man? The village will do that for me soon enough."

"Silence cretin." Ouga commanded. "You will speak of none of those things to the villagers. The avatar and I are going to decide what is to be done with you."

"I think it's too late for that. You really think everyone's going to go along with this? You're too late. No matter how much you've tried to silence me and anyone else, the word's still gotten out. People know what lies outside this village. They know what kinds of wonders await them in the cities and villages. You honestly think they're going to go back to living in the Stone Age with this kid?" Yuu sneered at the leader of his people.

"They will do what is right." Ouga asserted.

"What about when you ask them to sacrifice their daughters?" Yuu pressed mercilessly.

Silence fell over the elder as he cast a troubled glance in Aang's direction. Aang looked at the floor and didn't respond.

"Yeah, I've been eavesdropping on you and your friends. How many young men in this village do you think will try to kill your precious avatar when they find out that he's going to banging the girls they wanted to marry?" Yuu drawled on, savoring his advantage over his captors.

"What shall we do avatar?" Ouga asked looking to his hope and salvation. Aang was beginning to lose count of all the faces he'd seen like that in his own world. People looking for someone to help them when all hope was lost.

"In the morning, gather your people. Make sure they bring all the young people too. I'll tell them what we intend to do then." Aang said sullenly.

"Your funeral..." Yuu snickered.

Aang stepped out of the tent and let Gou back in to watch Yuu. From the dark expression on his face he could tell he'd probably heard what had been discussed. Aang imagined that a young man his age probably had someone he cared a great deal for that he might not be able to be with now that things were unfolding as they were. Aang could sympathize.

So it was that the glorious and all powerful avatar went to go look for a place to sulk. Glances followed him everywhere he walked so he took to the air to find a place to just forget his problems for a moment. He had weighed every option in his mind; even removing Katara's bending power so that their children might have an equal chance of being any of the four elements. Even then there was no guarantee that it would work and what little of her spirit remained would most likely tip the scales toward water.

Aang found a spot in a tree to rest and think about what he was going to do next. When he heard people approaching he didn't move or make a sound just so he could maintain his solitude.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about Hinata?" Naruto was saying as the two arrived in the secluded little glade beneath Aang's perch.

"I just wanted to spend some time alone with you since we'll most likely be heading back toward the village tomorrow now that Aang's found his people." Hinata said guiding her young beloved into a seat next to her beneath the tree. "That and I wanted to talk to you about Sakura."

"Hinata-chan, I don't know…" Naruto started worriedly.

Hinata however silenced the young boy with a kiss before leaning into his chest. "I'm not asking you to choose between us. I think Sakura and I will probably discuss the situation ourselves first."

"Meaning…"

"Sakura and I are rivals now. I'm going to talk over our differences calmly and rationally and hope that we can settle this between the two of us so we won't be forcing you to make a decision that will cause you undue angst." Hinata explained as she settled in to cuddle.

"And if it doesn't work?"

"I'll break that bloody wench's arm." Hinata said sweetly.

"Why do I have bad feeling about this?" Naruto whined.

"I'm just kidding silly, but as rivals we might have to see whose convictions are stronger. If it means 'Gentle Fist' meets 'Brutish Strength' then so be it. I don't think Sakura will be giving up though; she cares for you too much. Just like I do." Hinata said with a giggle as she kissed the tip of Naruto's nose.

"All this time I never knew." Naruto whispered in awe.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata whispered with a blush.

"Yes?"

"Did you read that book of Jiraiya's?" Hinata said with her face blushing even deeper.

"Uh yeah, a little of it." Naruto mentioned shakily as his face began to heat up as well. Suddenly, a looked of horrified realization crossed his features. "Hinata-chan, you want me to…"

"No silly." The white eyed young girl said pressing her fingers to his lips. "I wouldn't take advantage of Sakura's absence THAT much. But… going to page four might be nice." She said lying back on the ground with a suggestive look on her face.

Naruto began to grin uncontrollably. "I think I could do page four." He said leaning down to kiss one of the two girls he could probably soon label as 'girlfriend'.

Aang smiled and felt his own face flush and quietly got ready to leave the two alone when Naruto's bellow split the silence as the blonde ninja jumped to his feet.

"YOU MISERABLE LITTLE FURBALL!!!" The fox ninja screamed as he dashed around with a snarling hare chewing resolutely on his buttocks.

"He must have gotten away from Toph." Hinata said pulling the offensive cottontail from her lover's tail along with a rather large patch of his pants.

"Why do you even keep that mangy thing?" Naruto managed to growl around the pain as he danced around rubbing his injured behind.

"It was a gift from Aang. Anyway, I think he's cute, albeit a bit underfoot at times. Akinori, go back to Toph." Hinata ordered the little beast. Akinori looked at her with a pleading gaze as if to say 'Please don't send me away!', but Hinata was firm.

Dejected, the little rabbit that was once a ninja did as he was told by his mistress and hanging his head gave Naruto a baleful stare that promised far more personal bites if he ventured any further than page four.

"Man that hurt." Naruto groused.

"Here, let me see if it's bleeding." Hinata offered with a giggle. "Just turn around… and drop your pants."

Aang decided that it was definitely time to go before Hinata started making it feel all better for Naruto. In a way he felt bad for Akinori, but it was his own bad karma that had brought it upon himself. Doomed to have his spirit inhabiting the body of rabbit for the rest of his life to protect (or at least keep company) someone he'd nearly killed.

Aang sighed. That was another person he'd been force to deal with. Yuu, Akinori, both of them made him think back to Ozai and how he'd been forced to remove his bending powers just to keep from having to kill him. He'd managed to keep his beliefs in tact through that trial, why was it so hard now with trying to father airbenders?

Aang lost his concentration and smacked into a tree face first. He fell down to a large branch and lay there stunned for several moments gazing up at visions of Ozai, Yuu, and Akinori dancing before his eyes. "THAT'S IT!" Aang shouted sitting up in the tree with sudden inspiration.

Aang quickly tucked his legs under him on the branch and began to concentrate. He had a lot to do and a short time to do it in…

**A/N: Next update will be the conclusion and epilogue to this little back burner project. It has been an interesting little adventure and I hope people have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. A.A. :)**


	17. Chapter 17 and Epilogue

**A/N: Well here it is, the last chapter and the epilogue. I'll save any comments for after the story. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 17.**

"This is bad." Zuko said to Sokka as the two stood apart from the crowd. Aang was no where to be seen, and the crowd had gathered without even needing to be summoned when the elder had ordered all the village's unmarried young women to come to his tent the next morning.

The crowd of parents and young men that gathered in front of the pavilion looked more dangerous by the moment. The girls ranged in age from barely thirteen all the way up to grown young women who should have already been married if not forbidden by the elder to do so. "Outrage" seemed to be the word murmured most among the people who were gathered.

When the elder emerged from his pavilion, carried by Gou, the crowd burst into a cacophony of voices all trying to be heard at once. Pleading fathers and boyfriends competed for the elder's attention with wailing mothers and scared young girls.

"If Aang's smart he found another iceberg." Zuko whispered.

"Please everyone settle down!" Ouga shouted above the din. "This is supposed to be a joyous occasion. We can finally return home, and our exile is over."

"We ARE home!" One older man shouted back. "You're the only one left who was even born in the old world and even YOU can't remember what it was like there. THIS is our home now and I do NOT want some kid showing up to take my little daughter off to who knows where."

"Why do we have to return?" Someone else ranted. "Why can't we stay here?"

"This is not our home." Ouga countered. "We must go back to where we came from, to our ancestral home or our people will disappear forever and our world will be lost."

"Why should we care if THIS is our world now? Any number of the villages we have seen would take us in." Some woman said looking around at her neighbors for support.

"Please, everyone just listen. I know this might seem to be frightening, but our world and our avatar need us." The elder pleaded with the mob.

"Now? After one hundred years, they need us now?" Yuu said with a sneer from the pavilion.

"Get back in the tent." The elder commanded the rogue. "Your words are nothing but poison. Gou, put me down and go tie him down again."

Zuko looked at the large young man who stayed rooted to the spot. "I want to hear what he has to say elder."

Everyone seemed to go quiet as someone openly defied the elder. Yuu seized his moment to step into the clearing with the young girls. "My words are poison? Let me ask you elder, what is more poisonous, telling people what lies outside their village or telling them they have to give up their children?"

People in the crowd started looking from one to another, and Zuko could feel the situation getting worse down to his toes. He'd addressed enough people in his lifetime to know when popular sentiment was running against you. Right now the air nomads were about as amicable towards the elder and Aang as Katara's tribe had been the first time he'd met them.

"Someone said that one of the villages we'd seen would take us in. And you're right, they will. This world has all kinds of wonders that the elder has been hiding from you for years. He forbids us to mix with these people, he tells us they are not our own. I tell you that they are just as human as we are and their way of life is more comfortable than living in tents, and scrounging for food. Some of you have already talked to some of them. Some of you have seen the wonders they have in store. The elder would have you turn your back on all these things to have you go back to a way of life that none of you were born to. He clings to the old ways and says that we should too, but why? So he can feel more at home in his old age? I have been out there; I know where to go and who to talk to. Follow me from here and leave the elder to his avatar." Yuu recited.

A rumble of assent rose from the crowd and Zuko decided it was time to step in before things got further out of hand. "I have something to say."

"Another one of the elder's lackeys…"

The torrent of flame that shot up from Zuko's hand towered over the village. It was the most fire he could possibly channel at once. If he had brought it down on such a tightly gathered group of people every one of them would have been fried to a crisp instantly… and they knew it.

"I see that enough of your traditions have remained intact that you realize what that display means." Zuko said raising his voice. If Yuu wanted to parade around like a statesman, he would show him what a real statesman was capable of.

"You're… a firebender." Ouga whispered in dread.

"Yes, I am a firebender. Not only am I a firebender, but I am Fire Lord Zuko, the direct descendant of the man that started the war that drove you all here." Zuko said as he stepped into the clearing. People cowered back from him while others looked ready to kill him. "I see in you fear. You are afraid of a world you have never known. All you have ever heard are the things that the elder has told you about your world. My people once made war on your people, but now I stand before you to atone for the crimes of my ancestors. On our world, the war is over. Aang ended that war. It raged unchecked for one hundred years until he managed to stop it by confronting my father and ending his reign of terror. Together the avatar and I have tried to rebuild what was lost. Before traveling here to find you I commissioned craftsmen to go and rebuild the temples of your people. In one hundred years, things have changed greatly on our worlds as they have no doubt changed on this one as well. I challenge each of you with this question. Both worlds here are effectively unknown to you, would it not then be wiser to return to a world unknown to you in which you belong and in which your people have a history than to venture into a world in which you are strangers having no place?"

"And what about these girls?" Yuu shot back acidly. "Is this homeland of ours so great that you would expect these people to give up their children for it? What about those of you who love some of these girls? Is your homeland worth losing them?"

Gou set the elder down on the ground and walked to where one of the young girls stood. He then stepped in front of her and turned to face the elder. "I will not give up Maya."

The crowd began to growl again as Yuu once again gained a following. He stared at Zuko in triumph. "Besides, what use are the words of an ancient enemy who claims now to be our friend. Perhaps this avatar is nothing more than his puppet meant to carry us and our women back into slavery."

"ENOUGH!" Several voices bellowed in unison.

People fell away faster than they had from Zuko's pillar of fire when that voice echoed across the camp. Armies had faltered at the sound of that terrible sound, and it seemed to reverberate up through the very blood of all the people gathered there in a sort of ancient memory imbedded into each person's soul. It was the sound of an angry avatar.

Aang stepped through the crowd as people backed, and even crawled away from him in absolute terror. Aang floated into the clearing and even Yuu trembled at the sight of his tattoos glowing and the wind making him hover a few inches off the ground. Somehow the idea of 'puppet' didn't seem to hold much weight anymore.

"Gou!" The avatar snapped as if reprimanding a delinquent. "You claim that you will not leave Maya. Will you then face me for her? Will you stand before me and defy my will for the woman you love? How far are you willing to go to protect her?"

Gou looked like he was going to be sick. He looked back at Maya ready to burst into tears and with a shaking step moved forward. "Yes, I will face you for her. I will die before I let anyone else have her."

For her part, Maya looked like she was ready to either clobber Gou for blatant stupidity or suffocate him with kisses. _Obviously, in love those two…_

Aang hovered before Gou for a moment before he touched the ground and his glow faded and he was once again just Aang, a young boy with a goofy smile. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that."

Gou stood there trying to figure out whether or not he was going to be turned to cinders at any moment. Since Aang had stopped glowing he was beginning to look more resolute by the moment.

"Everyone please listen to me." Aang said calmly as he looked around at the crowd with the earnest look of a young man who genuinely wants people to understand and to be nice to one another. Considering the alternative, people were quite receptive. "My name is Aang, and yes I am the avatar. I know a lot of you don't want to believe it, I know I didn't when the monks at the air temple told me. But I am, and I am here to bring you all back home. I have also been given the task of being the father of the next generation of airbenders, a task which I cannot perform unless I have children with a young woman who is an airbender. I am however not going to be able to fulfill my obligation to the world."

Zuko looked at Aang like he was out of his mind. He'd just crossed time and space to come to a different world in order to give up?!

A relieved murmur passed through the crowd as Aang looked around at the young girls assembled. "You see, like many of you, I have already fallen in love with someone that I intend to spend the rest of my life with."

Zuko followed Aang's gaze over to Katara, whose eyes were downcast and who was blushing heavily. "But Aang, your people…"

"Katara, I love you and I can't betray what I feel for you by allowing this to continue any further. I am not going to marry any girls from this village." Aang pronounced.

A cheer went up from the villagers, and Gou looked ready to hug the young boy on the spot. Aang then turned to address the mob.

"However, there is one stipulation to all of this." Aang mentioned. Everyone tensed as wariness took hold on the suspicious nomads who had become untrusting of outsiders. "All I ask is for some of you to return with me to our world. A new generation of airbenders must be born to continue the avatar cycle."

"But the elder said you needed to have children with the girls in this village for that." Gou said slowly.

"Not if I train some of you to be airbenders." Aang countered. Gasps resounded through the crowd. Villagers began looking at each other in confusion, as Aang let his words sink in. "In order to stop Fire Lord Ozai, I had to bend his energy to remove his bending powers. I can also unlock the power from within the souls of those who are not benders. If you return with me, I can give you this power and our people will be restored. And I will be free to marry the woman I love. That is, if she will have me."

Everyone looked at Katara. Zuko wasn't quite sure but it sounded like Aang had just proposed. Katara was practically glowing. "Yes Aang. Yes I will."

A collective 'Aww' escaped the crowd and villagers began to talk and whisper excitedly. For once Zuko began to relax. It looked like the kid had somehow managed to squeak by once again.

"I wonder when Aang's going to mention the head shaving and tattoos all the airbending monks have." Sokka whispered as he leaned over to Zuko.

"Zip it." Zuko murmured under his breath.

"Good idea." Sokka agreed.

* * *

"You did it Aang." Katara said as she grabbed the young boy up in a hug. "I don't know how many of the villagers are going to actually return, but if even a few return you'll be able to keep your duty and not have to marry any of them."

The two had returned to the elder's tent, while the elder discussed the return with other members of the village. "Yeah, I was up all night in the spirit world talking to the first avatars. Apparently, it isn't the first time that one of the four elements faced extinction. Some of them had even talked to the same lion turtle that taught me how to stop Ozai. It took all night to find what I needed and learn it."

"It was a night well spent then." Katara beamed. "As soon as the villagers sort out who is going to go and who is going to stay we can get back home so that you can start training and I can start planning."

"Planning for what?" Aang said as he yawned loudly and started looking for a place to lie down.

"For our wedding of course, you _did_ propose to me after all." Katara said with a blush. Aang's breath suddenly caught in his throat, and he looked like a flock of army ant-birds had flown down his throat. "You _were_ being serious when you said you wanted to marry me didn't you? You weren't just saying that to win over the crowd were you?"

Katara hadn't meant for it to, but her voice carried a little bit of threatening edge to it as Aang seemed to cringe. "Of course I want to marry you Katara. I've loved you since the first day we met."

"Good." Katara said happily giving her new fiancée a broad smile. As her grandmother had always told her, marriage was often like fishing. When you found one you intended to catch, make sure the hooks were well secured. Aang finally seemed to relax, though he perhaps looked a little bit troubled. Not exactly the troubled as in 'How am I going to lead these people home', or 'How am I going to teach all these people airbending', but rather the 'My God, what have I done' type of troubled that all young men feel when they realize they've just decided to permanently change their lives.

Katara smiled and tried to put him at ease. "You know if it had meant giving up my bending powers in order to fulfill your destiny, I would have done it for you. I would have done whatever it takes to help you."

Aang chuckled and then looked deeply into Katara's eyes. "I don't know if I could have asked that of you. But you know there is something else. We will need all the airbenders we can to restore my people, and I did find that it is also possible to change someone's element."

Katara stared at the boy in shock. All her life she had channeled water, and now he was saying that she could be changed to channel air? It was Katara's turn to suddenly wish she had kept her mouth shut as the 'Oh my God what have I done' expression undoubtedly crossed her face as well. Instead she managed to squeak out, "What would you have to do?"

"All I have to do is place my hand over you heart and forehead and bend you energy until it aligns with the element of air." Aang explained with a need in his voice that told Katara exactly what he wanted to hear her say.

Katara sighed inwardly. She had said it, and what was more she had meant it. She had prepared herself all this time thinking that she was going to have to share Aang with countless other girls while he fathered his race. She had prepared herself to endure almost anything. "I won't do it for your people Aang; even if they become my people too. But I _will_ do it for you."

Aang blushed deeply. "I'm glad to hear you say that." Katara noticed a thin trickle of blood coming out of his nose then. "Open your blouse so I can touch your heart."

**Epilogue.**

"Well I hate to see you go old man." Jiraiya lied jovially as she slapped Iroh on the back.

"Yes, Iroh, I wish you could stay." Tsunade said as if on the verge of tears.

"I wish I could stay as well. I must return to my own world though." Iroh said wistfully staring into the Hokage's eyes.

"Uncle, we need to be going. Now." Zuko reprimanded the old man. He looked like he was going to be sick.

Hinata waved at her new friends as they prepared to leave. The alien travelers were headed back to finish preparations for their journey back to their world. Nearly all the airbenders had decided to return. Even Yuu was going back, since staying would mean being taken back here to be tried for his involvement with Orochimaru.

"Is Hinata waving at me?" Toph asked Katara.

"Yes, I am." Hinata admitted. "Force of habit, sorry."

"You guys take care." Naruto added as the odd collection of people he'd found departed.

"So Tsunade, about this Iroh, what exactly were you up to while I was away?" Jiraiya asked.

"Why would you want to know?" Tsunade retorted primly. "It's not really any of your business. But if you like we can talk about it over drinks back at the tower."

"Wonderful, I could use some good sake." Jiraiya agreed falling into step behind Tsunade; most likely to stare at her rear while she walked.

"Actually, I was thinking of some tea instead." Tsunade replied s she turned around to capture Jiraiya's arm with her own and pull him forward to walk next to her. Some might have thought it romantic, unless one pointed out that Jiraiya wasn't going to see anything walking beside her and with one arm pinned he wasn't about to be groping anything either.

"I bet they did it." Naruto whispered next to her in revulsion.

"I'd rather not think about it too much." Hinata remarked. The idea of Iroh and Tsunade seriously grossed her out. And speaking of couples she'd rather not see… "So where's Sakura?"

"Tenten said she'd been working very long hours at the hospital lately." Naruto said looking toward the direction that Neji had been dragged by the weapon master.

Hinata nodded looking around at the now empty street where she and Naruto were standing. Since it was the last few moments she was going to have with him before she had to start worrying about Sakura butting in, she tenderly took his hand and got ready to steal a kiss.

When Naruto's arm stiffened, Hinata looked up to see him looking down the street. Hinata followed his gaze to where a very angry looking Sakura was watching him while he held hands with Hinata.

"NA-RU-TO!" Sakura growled as she charged forward. The pink haired girl barreled toward Naruto at top speed, with her teeth gritted and she looked ready to kill.

_She's going to punch him again._ Hinata realized as the violent kunoichi rushed her boyfriend.

Hinata was not about to have Naruto get punched just because she had wanted to hold his hand and she was about to sort Sakura out concerning the whole punching business right now. Hinata pushed Naruto aside and settled into a fighting stance to defend her man, and most importantly, her claim on him.

It therefore came as quite a shock when she was grabbed roughly by Sakura who she now realized had her eyes closed and her lip crashed hungrily into her own. Several things went rampaging through Hinata's mind all at once. Here are a few of them.

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_Wow, apparently she reads Jiraiya's books too._

_Is that Kakashi-san over there with a camera?_

_Is that strawberry lipstick?_

_Naruto-kun, you better not be getting any ideas._

_I'm glad Neji isn't seeing this._

_This is just like the time Naruto accidentally kissed Sasuke._

_Oh no, that memory is getting me excited!_

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_She's using tongue!_

_I AM NOT GAY!_

_Why won't my body move?_

_How do I get myself into these things?_

_Dear Lord, please don't let my father see this._

_I wonder if Naruto finds this… exciting._

_That had REALLY better not be a video camera Kakashi-san!_

_Akinori, please don't look at me like that._

_Even the RABBIT has a nosebleed?!!_

_Man her chest is as flat as Naruto's?_

_Okay, her chest isn't quite as flat and muscular as Naruto's?_

_They are rather soft though._

_I AM NOT GAY!_

When Sakura finally broke the kiss, the two of them stood there in shock staring at each other. "I guess we're even now." Hinata said in a daze.

A strangled noise brought the attention of both girls over to where Naruto stood on trembling knees. The young ninja shook uncontrollably as blood dripped from his chin from the massive nosebleed he was allowing to flow unchecked.

And then finally, Naruto fainted.

**A/N: As I've said before, this was a back-burner project that I wrote in response to a cross-over challenge. I don't really consider this my best work, but it has been rather enjoyable to write. I hope that all of you enjoyed it despite the places where it departed from the history of the Naruto world and the Avatar world since I started writing it before the end of the series, and the before we learned about the Uchiha clan in Naruto. Be seeing you guys! A.A. :)**


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